Shante is an engineer in private practice. She is retained by Jasmine Johnson, a developer and owner of Johnson Properties INC. Jasmine hires Shante to perform hydrodynamic modeling and coastal risk assessment in connection with potential climate change and sea level rise for a residential development project near a coastal area in Galveston. The geographic area in which Johnson Properties is planning to build currently has no building code in place. Based on newly released information as well as a recently developed algorithm that includes newly identified historic weather data, Shante believes the residential development project should be built to a 100-year projected storm surge elevation, due to public safety risks even at lower projections of future surge level rise. Because of the increased cost, Jasmine refuses to agree that the residential development project be built to a 100-year projection storm surge elevation.As an engineer, what are Shante’s ethical obligations under the circumstances?Question 1 options:A. Since the geographical area in question does not have a building code, Shante may want to, but has no grounds to report Jasmine’s refusal to follow her risk assessment recommendations to local/state/federal authorities. Still, Shante is ethically bound to say something and so she should speak out and present her data but can only do so to civic groups and at public meetings that discuss the development such as a town hall meeting.B. Even though Shante may want to do more, her obligation is to simply record her data and recommendations in a report to Johnson INC, understanding that as the developer they can legally make this decision since the geographic area in question has no building code in place and it keeps her company financially viable.C. At the refusal of the developers to build according to the 100-year projected storm elevation, it is Shante’s obligation to report her findings and data and Johnson INC’s decision to the appropriate local/state/federal authorities. In addition, Shante should make plans to present her assessment and data to civic groups and any public forums where the development is discussed.
