Case Study Johnsonville

When Sylvester Resources (Sylvester) drilled 33 new wells, the company needed three compressors to deal with the influx of natural gas. However, after two tumultuous years spent struggling to convince the Lucas City Council to approve the compressors, they had reached an impasse. Viewing the impasse as impenetrable, Sylvester decided to place its compressors in neighboring Johnsonville instead. After negotiating with the Jones’, a couple who own and reside on a property adjacent to the border of Lucas and Johnsonville, Sylvester secured an agreement for an alternate site for its compressors. In order to proceed at the new site, Sylvester must find a way to manage the potential public backlash while proceeding with its plans in Johnsonville.
However, the first thing that the representatives of Sylvester should do is acknowledge their bias, thus “revealing the existence of any interest [they] may have in the matters” (NSPE, 2007, para. 5) and vastly improving their credibility by establishing a reputation for honesty. A project manager, communications representative, contractor, and field hand should be present at the meeting to provide disparate perspectives. The manager presence will demonstrate to the people that Sylvester takes their concerns seriously. The contractor and field hand can address the people's immediate concerns about the construction process and operation of the compressors. The communications representative will be there to ensure that Sylvester’s message is not being lost and to show the people of Johnsonville how the project can benefit them. The communications representative should emphasize that constructing compressors in Johnsonville will bring in a whole crew of workers who would support the local economy through their purchases while in Johnsonville. Explaining the potential benefits of the compression project would entail expressing “technical opinions that are founded upon knowledge of the facts” (NSPE, 2007, para. 5). Additionally the company representatives should underscore that the project might come with job opportunities, which would be especially
If things proceed smoothly, Sylvester will need to consider whether to provide a sound barrier for the compressors. Given that the compressors will be a mere 100 feet from the Jones’ home, Sylvester should provide some sort of sound protection. The informational meeting can be used as a means of gauging how much the idea of loud compressors bothers people. Naturally, Sylvester should err on the side of caution and spend as little money as possible; however, it would also benefit from treating the Jones well and demonstrating that it “hold[s] paramount the safety, health, and welfare of the public” (NSPE, 2007, para. 2). Sylvester needs to send the message that it will be a good corporate neighbor because its treatment of the Jones will color all of its future business in Johnsonville. Additionally, noise pollution can cause health issues for some people and decrease the quality of life, so it would behoove Sylvester to preemptively address these issues. Financially, it would make the most sense to install roofless enclosures since they decrease the sound without being exorbitantly