“It makes me feel really proud when I can go home knowing the water that’s in our river is clean, the air that we’re breathing is clean, and we’re not living among carcinogens. ”
Coming from a country where no one cares about environmental protection, I want to make sure that my generation is leaving this planet in a healthy condition for my kids. So it makes me feel really proud when I can go home knowing the water that's in our river is clean, the air that we're breathing is clean, and we’re not living among carcinogens.
My job is to ensure that the company I work for complies with both the Environmental Protection Agency and state environmental rules surrounding air quality, water quality, and waste management. The biggest challenge we face is the ignorance of people who are not involved. We are held to very high standards by the EPA and by local and state leaders. You would think that a far-right state may not care about the environment, but they still have to follow and abide by rules made by the federal government. We are held to a very high standard. For example, the clean water that comes out of our facility cannot have even one part per billion of carcinogen content, which is less than a grain of salt. But the image that people have is that everyone is constantly polluting the environment, but the fact is we are always being tested by the EPA to have better protection in place.
I was born in Pakistan, so till college, I was not aware of environmental importance. But now, I go back and I see that impact. I see how bad the air quality is. I see that the water is not drinkable. This is not rocket science; improving your air quality is not like sending someone to the moon. Everybody in every country in the world can improve their air and water quality if they want to. We have seen tremendous improvement in the U.S. but when I go back to Pakistan, I see the same things I saw when I was 15. I think my job is very important. Not many people are attracted to it, but it’s a good field—you’re always doing something to help the planet.
