Ted Terrific is the manager of a leather-tanning company. In part of the tanning operation a solution of chromic acid is used. It is company policy that the spent chrome solution is put in 0.20-m3 drums and shipped to a hazardous waste disposal facility. On Thursday the 12th, the day shift miscalculates the amount of chrome to add to a new batch and makes it too strong. Because there is not enough room in the tank to adjust the concentration, Abe Lincoln, the shift supervisor, has the tank emptied and a new one prepared and makes a note to the manager that the bad batch needs to be reworked. On Monday the 16th, Abe Lincoln looks for the bad batch and cannot find it. He notifies Ted Terrific that it is missing. Upon investigation, Ted finds that Rip VanWinkle, the night-shift supervisor, dumped the batch into the sanitary sewer at 3:00 A. M. on Friday the 13th. Ted makes discreet inquiries at the wastewater plant and finds that they have had no process upsets. After Ted severely disciplines Rip, he should: (Choose the correct answer and explain your reasoning.) (a) Inform the city and state authorities of the illegal discharge as required by law even though no apparent harm resulted. (b) Keep the incident quiet because it will cause trouble for the company without doing the public any good. No harm was done, and the shift supervisor has been punished. (c) Advise the president and board of directors and let them decide whether to follow alternatives (a) or (b).