IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/spr/joerap/v7y2024i1d10.1007_s41996-023-00127-x.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Quantifying the Disparate Racial/Ethnic Impacts of Dam Removals

Author

Listed:
  • George Galster

    (Wayne State University)

  • Joshua Galster

    (Montclair State University)

  • Karl Vachuska

    (University of Wisconsin-Madison)

Abstract

Vast interracial differences in wealth are well-known. We investigate a previously unexplored source of such differences—removal of obsolete dams—thereby opening a new frontier of environmental racism studies. Specifically, we identify contexts in the USA where the pattern of dam removals has exhibited disparate impacts favoring Whites, then quantifying the degree to which these benefits accrue disproportionately to Whites through enhanced home values. Using data about large USA dams, we search for disparate impact by estimating linear probability models—stratified by region and ownership—of which dams were removed. We find that the probability of a dam being removed from 2010 to 2018 is positively associated with the proportion of proximate White residents only in the case of dams owned by local and state governments in the South. We then employ an adjusted interrupted time series regression model to quantify that proximate home values were enhanced 4% by the removal of the aforementioned dams. Aggregating this gain across all owner-occupied dwellings by racial/ethnic group in areas where dams were removed, we find a $194 million-larger gap in home equity gains between White and Nonwhite homeowners compared to what would have been the case in a hypothetical scenario where the pattern of dam removal was not racially biased. This figure is equivalent to $7700 per Nonwhite homeowner. We conclude that this represents a clear and substantial case of environmental injustice that calls for revisions in regulatory frameworks and management practices governing dam removals.

Suggested Citation

  • George Galster & Joshua Galster & Karl Vachuska, 2024. "Quantifying the Disparate Racial/Ethnic Impacts of Dam Removals," Journal of Economics, Race, and Policy, Springer, vol. 7(1), pages 9-26, March.
  • Handle: RePEc:spr:joerap:v:7:y:2024:i:1:d:10.1007_s41996-023-00127-x
    DOI: 10.1007/s41996-023-00127-x
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s41996-023-00127-x
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: Access to the full text of the articles in this series is restricted.

    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1007/s41996-023-00127-x?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Melissa M Foley & Francis J Magilligan & Christian E Torgersen & Jon J Major & Chauncey W Anderson & Patrick J Connolly & Daniel Wieferich & Patrick B Shafroth & James E Evans & Dana Infante & Laura S, 2017. "Landscape context and the biophysical response of rivers to dam removal in the United States," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 12(7), pages 1-24, July.
    2. Chakraborty, J. & Maantay, J.A. & Brender, J.D., 2011. "Disproportionate proximity to environmental health hazards: Methods, models, and measurement," American Journal of Public Health, American Public Health Association, vol. 101(SUPPL. 1), pages 27-36.
    3. Margot Lutzenhiser & Noelwah R. Netusil, 2001. "The Effect Of Open Spaces On A Home'S Sale Price," Contemporary Economic Policy, Western Economic Association International, vol. 19(3), pages 291-298, July.
    4. Lansford, Notie H., Jr. & Jones, Lonnie L., 1995. "Marginal Price Of Lake Recreation And Aesthetics: An Hedonic Approach," Journal of Agricultural and Applied Economics, Southern Agricultural Economics Association, vol. 27(01), pages 1-12, July.
    5. Bill Provencher & Helen Sarakinos & Tanya Meyer, 2008. "Does Small Dam Removal Affect Local Property Values? An Empirical Analysis," Contemporary Economic Policy, Western Economic Association International, vol. 26(2), pages 187-197, April.
    6. Okmyung Bin, 2005. "A semiparametric hedonic model for valuing wetlands," Applied Economics Letters, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 12(10), pages 597-601.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Provencher, Bill & Sarakinos, Helen & Meyer, Tanya, 2006. "Does Small Dam Removal Affect Local Property Values? An Empirical Analysis," Staff Papers 10280, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Department of Agricultural and Applied Economics.
    2. Brovencher, Bill & Sarakinos, Helen & Meyer, Tanya, 2006. "Does Small Dam Removal Affect Local Property Values? An Empirical Analysis," Staff Paper Series 501, University of Wisconsin, Agricultural and Applied Economics.
    3. Tapsuwan, Sorada & Polyakov, Maksym & Bark, Rosalind & Nolan, Martin, 2015. "Valuing the Barmah–Millewa Forest and in stream river flows: A spatial heteroskedasticity and autocorrelation consistent (SHAC) approach," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 110(C), pages 98-105.
    4. Liu, Sezhu & Hite, Diane, 2013. "Measuring the Effect of Green Space on Property Value: An Application of the Hedonic Spatial Quantile Regression," 2013 Annual Meeting, February 2-5, 2013, Orlando, Florida 143045, Southern Agricultural Economics Association.
    5. Bill Provencher & Helen Sarakinos & Tanya Meyer, 2008. "Does Small Dam Removal Affect Local Property Values? An Empirical Analysis," Contemporary Economic Policy, Western Economic Association International, vol. 26(2), pages 187-197, April.
    6. Ann Hodgkinson & Abbas Valadkhani, 2009. "Community Valuations of Environmental Quality in Coastal Lakes: Lake Illawarra Case Study," Economic Papers, The Economic Society of Australia, vol. 28(2), pages 155-168, June.
    7. Guilfoos, Todd & Walsh, Jason, 2023. "A hedonic study of New England dam removals," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 203(C).
    8. Anuradhi Dulangi Jayasinghe, 2024. "A local perspective of the socio-environmental vulnerability to environmental pollution and economic crises: a case of locals around a coal power plant in Sri Lanka," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 26(2), pages 5431-5450, February.
    9. John F. Chamblee & Peter F. Colwell & Carolyn A. Dehring & Craig A. Depken, 2011. "The Effect of Conservation Activity on Surrounding Land Prices," Land Economics, University of Wisconsin Press, vol. 87(3), pages 453-472.
    10. O. Ashton Morgan & Stuart E. Hamilton, 2009. "Disentangling Access and View Amenities in Access-restricted Coastal Residential Communities," Working Papers 09-10, Department of Economics, Appalachian State University.
    11. Hans R.A. Koster & Jan Rouwendal, 2012. "The Impact Of Mixed Land Use On Residential Property Values," Journal of Regional Science, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 52(5), pages 733-761, December.
    12. Jay Mittal, 2017. "Valuing Visual Accessibility of Scenic Landscapes in a Single Family Housing Market: A Spatial Hedonic Approach," ERES eres2017_1, European Real Estate Society (ERES).
    13. Sara Burcham & Wei-Wen Hsu & Sharon L. Larson & Jack Rubinstein & Susan M. Pinney, 2025. "Residential Proximity, Duration, and Health-Related Quality of Life: Insights from the Fernald Cohort," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 22(5), pages 1-24, May.
    14. R Eugene Turner, 2022. "Variability in the discharge of the Mississippi River and tributaries from 1817 to 2020," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 17(12), pages 1-18, December.
    15. Dietrich Earnhart, 2006. "Using Contingent-Pricing Analysis to Value Open Space and Its Duration at Residential Locations," Land Economics, University of Wisconsin Press, vol. 82(1), pages 17-35.
    16. Johannes Flacke & Steffen Andreas Schüle & Heike Köckler & Gabriele Bolte, 2016. "Mapping Environmental Inequalities Relevant for Health for Informing Urban Planning Interventions—A Case Study in the City of Dortmund, Germany," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 13(7), pages 1-19, July.
    17. Beal-Hodges, Mary, 2012. "Conservation land acquisition lists and nearby property values: evidence from the Florida Forever programme," Studies in Agricultural Economics, Research Institute for Agricultural Economics, vol. 114(01), pages 1-8.
    18. Jay Mittal & Sweta Byahut, 2019. "Scenic landscapes, visual accessibility and premium values in a single family housing market: A spatial hedonic approach," Environment and Planning B, , vol. 46(1), pages 66-83, January.
    19. Steve P. Fraser & Marcus T. Allen, 2016. "The Effect of Appurtenant Golf Memberships on Residential Real Estate Prices," International Real Estate Review, Global Social Science Institute, vol. 19(2), pages 249-264.
    20. Shrestha, Ram K. & Alavalapati, Janaki R.R., 2004. "Effect of Ranchland Attributes on Recreational Hunting in Florida: A Hedonic Price Analysis," Journal of Agricultural and Applied Economics, Southern Agricultural Economics Association, vol. 36(3), pages 1-10, December.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:spr:joerap:v:7:y:2024:i:1:d:10.1007_s41996-023-00127-x. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.springer.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.