Going Beneath the Surface: Petroleum Pollution. Regulation. and Health

• 成果类型: Article
• 署名作者: Marcus, Michelle
• 署名单位: Vanderbilt University
• 刊物名称: AMERICAN ECONOMIC JOURNAL-APPLIED ECONOMICS
• ISSN/ISSBN: 1945-7782
• DOI: 10.1257/app.20190130
• 发表日期: 2021
• 页码: 1-37
• 关键词: avoidance-behavior evidence; hazardous-waste cleanup; environmental justice; infant-mortality; air-pollution; benzene; birth; water; exposure; gasoline

摘要

This paper quantifies the health impacts of petroleum leaks from underground storage tanks, the effectiveness of tank regulation, and the role of information as a policy tool in the same setting. Exposure to a leaking underground storage tank during gestation increases both the probability of low birthweight and preterm birth by 7-8 percent. Compliance with regulations requiring the adoption of preventative technologies mitigated the entire effect of leak exposure on low birthweight, and information increased avoidance and moving among highly educated mothers. Back-of-the-envelope calculations suggest the health benefits of preventative regulations exceed the upgrade cost to facilities.