Question

Learning Activity #1 38, 39…….whatever it takes. Bill lived in Stinko, a small, isolated town in south Texas, near the Mexico border. Bill was the manager of a factory that manufactured disposable drinking cups. The factory employed 150 people and was, by far, the largest employer in Stinko. Bill was married and the father of 3 teenage children. The plant ran well and Bill always achieved his production goals. However, one byproduct of one part of the manufacturing process was a very smelly, smoky residue emitted from the plant’s smokestacks. In addition to being smelly, the emissions had attracted the attention of the EPA. EPA tests had shown that the emissions contained excessive levels of sulfur. The EPA told Bill that if the emissions weren’t cleaned up, fines would be levied against the company. Bill talked to other plant managers within the company at other plant locations. All of them told him that they had found a way around the EPA testing by only producing the really stinky smoke at night. Since the EPA only tested during the day, they were getting away with it. Bill talked to his boss about some equipment that was available that would clean the emissions enough to pass the EPA tests but his boss said it was way too expensive to install. So, Bill did nothing and eventually got fined by the EPA. The fine was substantial. Bill’s boss told him that he better find a way to stop the fines or his job was in jeopardy. Bill received a call from the mayor of El Rancho, a small town just across the border in Mexico, about 20 miles south of Stinko. The mayor told Bill that if he moved the plant to El Rancho, he could emit as much stinky smoke as he wanted because El Rancho had no emission guidelines in place. The only catch was that Bill would have to employ only Mexican citizens from the town of El Rancho. However, due to the prevailing winds of the area, the stinky smoke would be carried directly north and would still affect the town of Stinko. Bill told his boss about the offer. The boss told Bill that it was his decision to make but that he better do something quickly if he wanted to keep his job. Bill’s kids were nearing college age and he needed his job. Bill knew that if he moved the plant to El Rancho that the emissions would still be polluting the atmosphere. He also knew that if he moved the plant that the town of Stinko would be ruined. The jobs of his friends and neighbors would be gone forever. But, his job would be safe. Make an ethical argument that Bill could use to justify moving the plant to El Rancho and make a separate ethical argument that Bill could use to keep the plant in Stinko. Make sure you consider the environment in both of your arguments.

Answer 1

US Federal Government has the comprehensive and significantly centered rules and regulations on Environment Safety in all the States of the Federal Government. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) was an Independent Agency was formed in 1970 in order to control the pollution which affect the spheres of the good environment. In the above case It is evidently discussed that officials from Clean Air Act (CAA) board identified the emission of air pollution caused in the manufacturing company of Disposable drinking cups located in the town of Stinko. The situation and the scenario of the company are addressed above in the case study and the associated problems distracted the normal working nature of the Manager Bill.

Two ways of ethical argument can be diagnosed by following prudence reasons. As Mayor per request, The Bill was offered a safety job in the new plant of same work nature El Rancho. The threat for air pollution guidelines was not so high in El Rancho. Bill feel better than possessing previous job because there was not stability in continuing the present job. But now the new job was secured by the offer communicated by Major after the critical occurence of Air Pollution. And also His Monetary needs may increase more than the expected level. Bill also able to manage the company without causing Air pollution, As his previous experience act as a guiding star to him.

In the analysis of second ethical argument, We can judge the Bill's thought of Keeping plant in Stinko. Technological factors of reducing air pollution in the Stinko will retain the company's reputation. The old employees can also get the lost the job because of the good effort of reducing the air pollution in the company. If Bill changes his thought of changing his job, then the vast pollution cannot be controlled. Because Bill will know the danger conditions of the company.