Mahboobin 4:00
L13
THE ETHICAL DILEMMAS FACED BY ENGINEERS IN THE FIELD OF
CARBON SEQUESTRATION
Aaron Guche (amg245@pitt.edu)
INTRODUCTION: ENGINEERING AND
ITS ETHICS
As the development of carbon sequestration progresses
further, an increasing amount of professional engineers will
be given the job of selecting, maintaining, and operating sites
of sequestration. Throughout their careers these engineers
will undoubtedly be forced to make difficult, ethical
decisions. The consequences of their decisions will affect the
lives of many people, the environment, and their profession
in general. In this piece, I will discuss a specific scenario
faced by an engineer in determining the site of a sequestration
operation. The engineer will have to make an ethical decision
based on his/her professional codes and also based on
literature relating to their field and engineering in general.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION ON
SEQUESTRATION
Some technical information regarding what sequestration
is, possible risks of sequestration sites, and the effects that can
come from potential hazards of sequestration needs to be
discussed for the scenario to be well understood.
What is Carbon Sequestration?
Carbon sequestration is capturing the carbon dioxide
(CO2) molecules produced from the combustion of fossil fuels
and finding a safe place to store them away from Earth’s
atmosphere rather than letting it all be released freely [1].
Carbon sequestration consists of two phases: the capture of
carbon dioxide, and then the transportation and placement of
the gas in a safe location. The first phase can be conducted in
a variety of different ways through physical and chemical
processes which are currently under development. One such
method of capture is by coal gasification units which strip the
CO2 molecules from the gas stream in presence of a
concentrated amount of oxygen [1]. Once the CO2 has been
effectively captured it is then compressed to a liquid and
transported to a sequestration site [1]. Possible sequestration
sites include unmineable coal fields, depleted oil and gas
reserves, and saline formations [2]. Once the site is chosen,
the CO2 is injected over a mile into the Earth (about 65007000 ft deep) into a bed of porous rock such as basalt or
sandstone [2]. The pores in these rock formations are very
large and allow for massive amounts of CO2 to be stored
inside. To put this in a numerical perspective, the United
University of Pittsburgh, Swanson School of Engineering 1
2015-11-03
States alone is estimated to have enough room to hold 1-4
trillion tons of CO2, and in comparison we emit 6 billion tons
of CO2 each year [3]. If conducted properly, that amount of
space is enough to store, at minimum, the next 166 years’
worth of carbon emissions at current output.
Once the CO2 has successfully been pumped into the
reservoir, the well is sealed, and the carbon dioxide becomes
trapped under a nonporous layer of rock directly above the
well referred to as the capstone [2]. Sequestration sites are
selected based on the quality of the capstone as well as factors
like size and location of the reservoir. An ideal capstone
would have zero fractures and be able to stand up to the
immense pressure created by the large mass of CO2 beneath
it; however, not every capstone will be ideal preluding to
possible ethical dilemmas in the future.
Risk of a Leak
The main risk associated with the process of carbon
sequestration is the potential issue of stored CO2 leaking from
its well. Although the Environmental Protection Agency
(EPA) has passed regulations regarding the selection and
maintenance of sequestration sites, there are still many threats
that could potentially cause a leak [4]. First, natural seismic
activity in the Earth’s plates could damage the capstone or the
well itself causing the CO2 to seep out [5]. Secondly, if excess
water isn’t successfully removed from the well during
sequestration, then the additional pressure combined with the
already massive pressure of the CO2 itself could be enough to
crack the capstone and cause leakage as well [5].
Additionally, this crack due to extreme pressure could spur
seismic activity on its own which would cause further damage
and increase the rate of the leak.
Effects of a Leak
In the event of a leakage, the resulting effects could have
very harmful consequences not only to the environment, but
also to the people living within range of the leak. These effects
include contamination of drinking water, increase in global
temperature, and seismic activity.
Water reacts in the presence of carbon dioxide to form a
relatively unstable acid known as carbonic acid (H2CO3) [6].
Acids have pH levels less than 7 and when they mix with
water they lower its pH level - which is normally at the neutral
level of 7 - resulting in slightly acidic water. Carbonic acid by
itself is not bad to drink – it’s what gives soda carbonation –
however, when this happens naturally rather than in a
Aaron Guche
controlled process, the water is exposed to other elements and
compounds in the soil. If a leak were to occur the carbon
dioxide would travel upwards and diffuse itself into the water
in the aquifers above, porous layers of rock containing water
[6]. Furthermore, if the sequestration site lay underneath an
aquifer containing drinking water, than the water would
become slightly acidic changing its chemical properties and
causing it to dissolve unwarranted amounts of toxic chemicals
that otherwise would not have dissolved [6]. Clearly, this
would be very problematic as it would pollute the water
source for the people living near the sequestration site
possibly causing health issues without them knowing.
An even scarier possibility could occur as did in
Cameroon in 1976 [7]. During one of the two known limnic
eruptions in history, 1,700 villagers were suffocated by a large
cloud of carbon dioxide created by a lake turnover. The lake,
Lake Nygos, had built up an extremely high concentration of
CO2 sitting at the bottom of the lake until the turnover where
it came to the surface, was boiled off by the sun, and murdered
an entire village [7]. The leak would have to be very large in
order to release enough CO2 at a time for this to occur again;
but when regarding an ethical decision all possibilities must
be considered.
In addition to the negative effects for the people living
there, it would have harmful effects on the environment as
well. If all of the CO2 were to leak back up to the surface then
the original problem sequestration sought to repair would
become a problem once again and all of its work undone. In
effect, the CO2 issue would continue and hence the
consequences of increased global temperatures, rising sea
levels, and extreme weather would result.
capstone has been given a rating of 85 out of 100 due to very
slight micro-fractures on the western side. Physicists have
examined these micro-fractures and predict that they will be
able to withstand the pressure of the CO2, but emergence of
sequestration sites has just begun and not much evidence or
knowledge exists to back up their predictions. The engineer
in this scenario needs to decide if this project meets all of the
ethical codes which the field of engineering holds him
accountable for even though the project already meets all
legal codes.
FACTORS CONSIDERED WHEN
MAKING A DECISION
An engineer is required to make decisions that meet
certain ethical codes in addition to all the legal considerations
that must be made as well. Specifically, they must meet the
codes of both the National Society of Professional Engineers
(NSPE) and the American Institute of Chemical Engineers
(AIChe). These codes provide basic canons/directives that
engineers must hold themselves accountable for when making
decisions; however, these codes aren’t very specific and leave
lots of room for self-interpretation. For this reason case
studies can be very helpful for making decisions says civil
engineer Tara Hoke, “Case studies give young engineers an
opportunity to see ethical precepts at work in actual situations
and, through discussion, to benefit from the views and
experiences of other professionals” [8]. The combination of
case studies, ethical codes, and the engineer’s morals provide
a basis which he/she can use to make the most ethical
decision.
THE SCENARIO: REQUEST TO BUILD A
SEQUESTRATION SITE IN A
QUESTIONABLE LOCATION
Public Safety
A fundamental piece of all engineering codes of ethics
requires that the engineer protect the welfare of the public and
the environment too. The first canon of the NSPE code of
ethics says engineers shall, “Hold paramount the safety,
health, and welfare of the public” [9]. The AIChE’s code of
ethics adds to this directive that its adherents, “protect the
environment in performance of their professional duties”
[10]. Both codes require attention to public safety as well as
protection of the environment but does one outweigh the
other?
In regards to the scenario at hand, an engineer would be
making a very good ethical decision concerning the
environment. If successful he/she would be making
groundbreaking progress in reducing carbon emissions and
helping prevent global warming but one cannot ignore the fact
of the population living above the sequestration site. If by
chance the capstone predictions were wrong and it was
fractured a few months after the process, than that engineer
has just endangered the safety and welfare of 25,000 lives.
Does the relatively small estimated chance of failure render
the entire project unethical? These are the types of
There are many possible tough, ethical decisions that
could hypothetically have to be made concerning the topic of
carbon sequestration. One particular scenario regarding an
engineer choosing a sequestration site is used here as an
example.
Exxon mobile is one of the leading carbon emitting
companies in the world. They are being regulated by the
government to reduce their carbon emissions by 50% or face
massive fines and possible shutdown if no change occurs in
the next 10 years. In response, Exxon hires an engineer for the
construction and implementation of a carbon sequestration
site. The company owners are very concerned about the
expense and therefore want to keep the cost to a minimum by
choosing the location closet to their largest carbon emitting
plant so as to reduce the transportation cost. The only problem
is that the location closest, and the one chosen by the
company, happens to be 6,000 feet below an aquifer used for
drinking water by a town with a population of 25,000 people.
Although the EPA has approved this site for sequestration the
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Aaron Guche
considerations that must be thought over before coming to a
decision.
Seek Guidance
REACHING AN ETHICAL DECISION
After reading case studies, considering perspectives of
others, and weighing the outcomes of all possibilities it comes
time for the engineer to make their decision. With reference
to the scenario considered throughout this piece, I would have
to refuse the project given to me by Exxon due to the concern
for public safety; furthermore, I would advise them to find a
more remote location for the site. Although the environmental
benefits could be enormous, I would not be able to overlook
the threat facing the lives of 25,000 people just because of an
issue regarding money. I would gladly oversee the
construction of the site on a new location not directly
underneath a significant amount of people. Finally, as
directed by the NSPE code of ethics, “Engineers shall advise
their clients or employers when they believe a project will not
be successful” [9], I would inform Exxon why the project
should not be conducted.
An ethical engineer is one who takes into consideration
the views of all professionals in his line of work, not just his
own. According to the AIChE code of ethics members shall,
“Seek and heed critical review of their work” [10], meaning
that they should take into account the opinions of other
experts before coming to an ethical decision. Listening to the
ideas of other gives the engineer a chance to reflect on his
conclusions and see how someone from a different
perspective would reason through the situation.
Concerning the scenario, in order for the engineer to make
a reasonable decision on the sequestration site they should
first consult a fellow engineer. They should inquire about
what their peer thinks about the safety level of the capstone,
and whether they think the sequestration site is acceptable or
not. The opinions of others only adds to all of the data the
engineer has been collecting thus far before culminating in a
decision. The fellow engineer might also catch something that
was overlooked originally by the former engineer and provide
him with better information in order to make a sound ethical
decision.
CONCLUSION: RECOMMENDATION
TO ENGINEERS FACING ETHICAL
DILEMMAS
In order for an engineer to make an educated, ethical
decision, he/she must consider all of the consequences of
every possible solution to the question at hand. To help with
predicting possible consequences, an engineer should seek a
second opinion from a peer in the same field, in addition to
referencing relevant case studies pertaining to the matter.
Finally, a professional engineer must acquaint himself/herself
with the NSPE code of ethics as well as the specific code for
his/her field to insure that the decision made meets all legal
and ethical codes. If conducted properly, all of this necessary
research should provide significant aid to the engineer in
making the most ethical decision possible.
Case Studies
Case studies have become a large part of ethics education
and are often implemented by engineers when faced with an
ethical dilemma. Michael MacRae, senior writer for ASME,
refers to case studies as an, “excellent way to keep ethical
thinking on the front burner” [11]. He believes that although
codes of ethics provide guidelines for what to do and what not
to do, case studies on the other hand put the ethical guidelines
in real life context [11]. Engineers everywhere can benefit by
reading case studies as it provides them with guidance based
on previous ethical or unethical decisions. The AIChE code
of ethics requires that engineers “Continue their professional
development throughout their careers” [10], and a good way
to develop your ethical decision making skills is to
continually expand your knowledge of ethics by reading case
studies.
Civil engineer, Tara Hoke, also attests to the benefit of
case studies by saying, “Ethics education entails more than
learning a simple set of abstract principles. It also includes
understanding how situations can arise that test an engineer’s
adherence to those principles” [8]. By learning to understand
how ethical scenarios arise in the field of engineering it allows
the engineer to look at the big picture. This outside of the box
thinking helps engineers take into account all of the
consequences a certain decision may cause, both positive and
negative. An engineer who trains his/her ability to weigh
consequences prior to decision making will simultaneously
improve his/her ability to make the most ethical decision.
REFERENCES
[1] “How Coal Gasification Power Plants Work.” U.S.
Office of Fossil Energy. (website). http://energy.gov/fe/howcoal-gasification-power-plants-work
[2] (2015, Sept 15). “Carbon Dioxide Capture and
Sequestration.” United States Environmental Protection
Agency.
(online
article).
http://www3.epa.gov/climatechange/ccs/
[3] (2015, Aug 20). “Carbon Capture & Underground
Storage.” United States Environmental Protection Agency.
(online
article).
http://www3.epa.gov/climatechange/kids/solutions/technolo
gies/ccs.html
[4] (2015, Sept 11). “U.S. Greenhouse Gas Inventory
Report: 1990-2013.” United States Environmental Protection
Agency
(online
report).
http://www3.epa.gov/climatechange/ghgemissions/usinvento
ryreport.html
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Aaron Guche
[5] D. Kramer. (2012). “Scientists Poke Holes in Carbon
Dioxide Sequestration.” Physics Today. (online article).
http://scitation.aip.org/content/aip/magazine/physicstoday/ar
ticle/65/8/10.1063/PT.3.1672
[6] C. Marshall. (2010, June 28). “Can Stored Carbon
Dioxide Leak?” Scientific American. (online Article).
http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/can-storedcarbon-dioxide-leak/
[7] K. Dee. (2009, Aug 16). “Carbon Sequestration:
Worth the Trouble?” Engineering Ethics Blog. (online blog).
http://engineeringethicsblog.blogspot.com/2009/08/carbonsequestration-worth-trouble.html
[8] T. Hoke. (2012, May). “A Question of Ethics: The
Importance of Understanding Engineering Ethics.” Civil
Engineering.
(Online
article).
http://rt4rf9qn2y.search.serialssolutions.com/?ctx_ver=Z39.
88-2004&ctx_enc=info%3Aofi%2Fenc%3AUTF8&rfr_id=info:sid/summon.serialssolutions.com&rft_val_fm
t=info:ofi/fmt:kev:mtx:journal&rft.genre=article&rft.atitle=
The+Importance+of+Understanding+Engineering+Ethics&rf
t.jtitle=Civil+Engineering&rft.au=Tara+Hoke&rft.date=201
2-0501&rft.pub=American+Society+of+Civil+Engineers&rft.iss
n=08857024&rft.volume=82&rft.issue=5&rft.spage=40&rft.externa
lDocID=2673417191&paramdict=en-US
[9] “NSPE Code of Ethics for Engineers.” National
Society of Professional Engineers. (online article).
http://www.nspe.org/resources/ethics/code-ethics
[10] “Code of Ethics” American Institute of Chemical
Engineers. (online article). http://www.aiche.org/about/codeethics
[11] M. MacRae. (2012, Sept). “Do the Right Thing.”
American Society of Mechanical Engineers. (online article).
https://www.asme.org/engineeringtopics/articles/engineering-ethics/do-the-right-thing
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
I would like to thank my mom, Kim Guche, for helping
me run through my scenario and giving me her perspective on
the matter. I would also like to thank my friend, Dan Kurz, for
reading over my paper for a basic check of all content and
grammatical analysis.
ADDITIONAL SOURCES
“Honesty’s Always the Best Policy.” Web Guru. (online
article). http://www.webguru.neu.edu/professionalism/casestudies/honestys-always-best-policy
(2012, June 26). “Obligation to Client or Employer?”
Online
Ethics
Center.
(online
article).
http://www.onlineethics.org/Resources/Cases/Obligation.asp
x
(2014, Apr 30). “Public Health and Safety-Delay in
Addressing Fire Code Violations.” National Society of
Professional
Engineers.
(online
article).
http://www.nspe.org/sites/default/files/BER%20Case%20No
%2013-11-FINAL.pdf
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