A food processing plant in New Brunswick produces and discharges a waste brine solution with a salinity of 13,000 mg/L salt (NaCl), at a rate of 400 L/min, discharged into a stream which has a flow rate of 5 million L/d and a salinity of 20 mg/L up-stream of the brine solution discharge point. Downstream of the discharge point is prime fishing spot, and the fish are highly sensitive (intolerant) to salt concentration above 200 mg/L.

(a) If the food-processing plant has to spend eight million dollars in infrastructure to reduce its salt concentration to meet the regulatory limit, it cannot sustain the business. Over 150 people will lose their jobs because of few people who enjoy fishing downstream. Present pros and cons by considering environmental ethics on the action of the Province in requiring the food processing plant to clean up its effluent (brine discharge).

(b) Suppose the processing plant is 4 km upstream from a brackish estuary and asks permission from environmental regulatory body of the province to pipe its discharge (salty effluent) into the estuary where salinity is such that the waste would dilute the estuary (the effluent has a lower salt concentration than the estuary water). As a plant manager, make an argument to request the Environmental director to relax the limit on salt level in the plant effluent.