According to most professional associations’ codes of ethics and to Canadian environmental law, when a...

NPPE ethics emphasizes that a professional’s paramount duty is to the public interest, including protection of health, safety, welfare, and the environment. When an employer knowingly ignores hazardous environmental conditions or regulatory exceedances, the professional must take responsible steps to have the situation corrected—despite possible personal or employment consequences. This typically begins with internal escalation (informing supervisors, recommending corrective action, documenting concerns) and, if necessary, proceeding to appropriate regulatory authorities where legal reporting obligations exist or where the public/environment remains at risk. Option D best captures this: the professional should take professional steps to bring operations into compliance, even if that risks employment. Option A is incorrect because going to the media is not an automatic or required step and may breach confidentiality; proper channels are usually internal and then regulatory. Option B is incorrect because loyalty to an employer does not override the public/environmental duty. Option C is unethical because delaying action to “gather more evidence” can allow preventable harm to continue. Therefore, D is correct.