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U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Valuation of Surface Water Quality Improvements

Author

Listed:
  • Charles Griffiths
  • Heather Klemick
  • Matt Massey
  • Chris Moore
  • Steve Newbold
  • David Simpson
  • Patrick Walsh
  • William Wheeler

Abstract

Since 1982, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has used benefit-cost analysis to evaluate many of its surface water quality regulations. Early regulations were aimed at controlling conventional and toxic pollutants that were directly linked to highly visible water quality problems. More recent regulations have focused on "unconventional" water quality stressors or more subtle distinctions in water quality. While a number of national-scale water quality models have been used over the years, there has been less exploration of economic models to estimate benefits. This article addresses three issues that have been particularly challenging in estimating the benefits from water quality improvement: defining standardized measures of water quality improvement, measuring benefits arising from ecological protection and restoration, and measuring nonuse benefits. Copyright 2012, Oxford University Press.

Suggested Citation

  • Charles Griffiths & Heather Klemick & Matt Massey & Chris Moore & Steve Newbold & David Simpson & Patrick Walsh & William Wheeler, 2012. "U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Valuation of Surface Water Quality Improvements," Review of Environmental Economics and Policy, Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, vol. 6(1), pages 130-146.
  • Handle: RePEc:oup:renvpo:v:6:y:2012:i:1:p:130-146
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    File URL: http://hdl.handle.net/10.1093/reep/rer025
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    Cited by:

    1. Stephen C. Newbold & Patrick J. Walsh & D. Matthew Massey & Julie Hewitt, 2018. "Using structural restrictions to achieve theoretical consistency in benefit transfers," Environmental & Resource Economics, Springer;European Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, vol. 69(3), pages 529-553, March.
    2. Robert J. Johnston & Elena Y. Besedin & Benedict M. Holland, 2019. "Modeling Distance Decay Within Valuation Meta-Analysis," Environmental & Resource Economics, Springer;European Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, vol. 72(3), pages 657-690, March.
    3. Walsh, Patrick & Griffiths, Charles & Guignet, Dennis & Klemick, Heather, 2017. "Modeling the Property Price Impact of Water Quality in 14 Chesapeake Bay Counties," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 135(C), pages 103-113.
    4. Habibun Nabi Muhammad Ekramul Mahmud & A. K. Obidul Huq & Rosiyah Binti Yahya, 2015. "Polypyrrole Conducting Polymer: A Novel Adsorbent for Arsenic Ions from Aqueous Solution," International Journal of Technology and Engineering Studies, PROF.IR.DR.Mohid Jailani Mohd Nor, vol. 1(4), pages 129-135.
    5. Meya, Jasper N. & Drupp, Moritz A. & Hanley, Nick, 2021. "Testing structural benefit transfer: The role of income inequality," Resource and Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 64(C).
    6. Abbie A. Rogers & Fiona L. Dempster & Jacob I. Hawkins & Robert J. Johnston & Peter C. Boxall & John Rolfe & Marit E. Kragt & Michael P. Burton & David J. Pannell, 2019. "Valuing non-market economic impacts from natural hazards," Natural Hazards: Journal of the International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, Springer;International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, vol. 99(2), pages 1131-1161, November.
    7. Choi, Dong Soon & Ready, Richard, 2021. "Measuring benefits from spatially-explicit surface water quality improvements: The roles of distance, scope, scale, and size," Resource and Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 63(C).
    8. Daniel R. Petrolia & Dennis Guignet & John Whitehead & Cannon Kent & Clay Caulder & Kelvin Amon, 2021. "Nonmarket Valuation in the Environmental Protection Agency's Regulatory Process," Applied Economic Perspectives and Policy, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 43(3), pages 952-969, September.
    9. Patrick J. Walsh & J. Walter Milon, 2016. "Nutrient Standards, Water Quality Indicators, and Economic Benefits from Water Quality Regulations," Environmental & Resource Economics, Springer;European Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, vol. 64(4), pages 643-661, August.
    10. Nick Hanley & Mikołaj Czajkowski, 2017. "Stated Preference valuation methods: an evolving tool for understanding choices and informing policy," Working Papers 2017-01, Faculty of Economic Sciences, University of Warsaw.
    11. Meya, Jasper N. & Drupp, Moritz A. & Hanley, Nick, 2018. "Income inequality and the international transfer of environmental values," Economics Working Papers 2017-03, Christian-Albrechts-University of Kiel, Department of Economics, revised 2018.
    12. He, Xiaoyang & Poe, Gregory L., 2021. "Exploring the shelf-life of travel cost methods of valuing recreation for benefits transfer," Resource and Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 63(C).
    13. Robert J. Johnston & Kevin J. Boyle & Maria L. Loureiro & Ståle Navrud & John Rolfe, 2021. "Guidance to Enhance the Validity and Credibility of Environmental Benefit Transfers," Environmental & Resource Economics, Springer;European Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, vol. 79(3), pages 575-624, July.
    14. Richard T. Carson & Miko_aj Czajkowski, 2014. "The discrete choice experiment approach to environmental contingent valuation," Chapters, in: Stephane Hess & Andrew Daly (ed.), Handbook of Choice Modelling, chapter 9, pages 202-235, Edward Elgar Publishing.
    15. Hermine Vedogbeton & Robert J. Johnston, 2020. "Commodity Consistent Meta-Analysis of Wetland Values: An Illustration for Coastal Marsh Habitat," Environmental & Resource Economics, Springer;European Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, vol. 75(4), pages 835-865, April.
    16. Uchida, Emi & Swallow, Stephen K. & Gold, Arthur J. & Opaluch, James & Kafle, Achyut & Merrill, Nathaniel H. & Michaud, Clayton & Gill, Carrie Anne, 2018. "Integrating Watershed Hydrology and Economics to Establish a Local Market for Water Quality Improvement: A Field Experiment," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 146(C), pages 17-25.
    17. Moeltner, Klaus, 2019. "Bayesian nonlinear meta regression for benefit transfer," Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, Elsevier, vol. 93(C), pages 44-62.
    18. David A. Keiser & Joseph S. Shapiro, 2019. "US Water Pollution Regulation over the Past Half Century: Burning Waters to Crystal Springs?," Journal of Economic Perspectives, American Economic Association, vol. 33(4), pages 51-75, Fall.
    19. Jones, Benjamin A., 2019. "Infant health impacts of freshwater algal blooms: Evidence from an invasive species natural experiment," Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, Elsevier, vol. 96(C), pages 36-59.
    20. Johnson, Kris A. & Dalzell, Brent J. & Donahue, Marie & Gourevitch, Jesse & Johnson, Dennis L. & Karlovits, Greg S. & Keeler, Bonnie & Smith, Jason T., 2016. "Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) lands provide ecosystem service benefits that exceed land rental payment costs," Ecosystem Services, Elsevier, vol. 18(C), pages 175-185.
    21. Keeler, Bonnie L. & Wood, Spencer A. & Polasky, Stephen & Kling, Catherine L. & Filstrup, Christopher T. & Downing, John A., 2015. "Recreational demand for clean water: evidence from geotagged photographs by visitors to lakes," ISU General Staff Papers 201501290800001557, Iowa State University, Department of Economics.
    22. Price, James I. & Heberling, Matthew T., 2018. "The Effects of Source Water Quality on Drinking Water Treatment Costs: A Review and Synthesis of Empirical Literature," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 151(C), pages 195-209.
    23. Robert J. Johnston & Elena Y. Besedin & Ryan Stapler, 2017. "Enhanced Geospatial Validity for Meta-analysis and Environmental Benefit Transfer: An Application to Water Quality Improvements," Environmental & Resource Economics, Springer;European Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, vol. 68(2), pages 343-375, October.
    24. Mullen, Jeffrey D. & Calhoun, Kayla & Colson, Gregory & Kriesel, Warren, 2015. "Effects of Uncertainty on Support for Water Quality Improvement Programs," 2015 AAEA & WAEA Joint Annual Meeting, July 26-28, San Francisco, California 205419, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association.
    25. Kroetz, Kailin & Kuwayama, Yusuke & Vexler, Caroline, 2019. "What is a Fish Out of Water? The Economics Behind the Joint Management of Water Resources and Aquatic Species in the United States," RFF Working Paper Series 19-09, Resources for the Future.

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