B. Clean Air and Water

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B. Clean Air and Water

• Read the textbook for a history of regulations
• Try to remember the main environmental laws, even
  if you dont remember all the amendments
• See also the six criteria pollutants targeted
  by the EPA
• Compare the books emphasis on problems and
  crises to Assignment 2 have the regulations
  worked? (More on this in a few minutes)

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C. Particulate Matter

• Textbook has information on previous regulations
  this section focuses on more recent
  developments

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1. PM 2.5

• Particulate Matter less than 2.5 microns (about
  1/20 the width of a human hair)
• Consensus says 2.5 microns and below is most
  dangerous to human health
• One studys finding decrease soot by 1
  microgram/cubic meter ? 3 fewer deaths from
  respiratory/cardiovascular disease
• More than 2000 peer-reviewed studies agree that
  PM 2.5 is hazardous to health. EPA estimate
  20,000 deaths/year

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2. Levels of PM 2.5

• Harvard Six Cities Study Data

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a. Current levels of PM 2.5

• Fluctuates over time and space
• Texas

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b. Regional Differences
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b. Regional Differences
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c. Trend Decline?
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3. No single cause of PM2.5
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VI. Trends and Policies

• Is pollution increasing or decreasing in the US?
  (Assignment 2 used global, not national, data).
  CO2 already covered. Some more examples to
  consider
• Major industries Power plants, chemical
  industry, refining, mining, agriculture

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a. Power Plants
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b. The chemical industry
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c. Refineries Criteria Pollutants
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c. Refineries Carcinogens
Excluding BP Texas City, the refinery industry
reported a 13 decrease in emissions of
carcinogens between 1999 and 2004.
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d. Mining and Agriculture

• Little data available on mining reporting not
  required for most pollutants (i.e. cyanide)
• Agriculture Major pollutants are methane,
  fertilizer runoff, and POPs (pesticides)

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Agriculture Methane Emissions
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• No data on runoff.
• Fertilizer use?

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2. Cars
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3. Toxic Chemicals

• a. Mercury

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b. Volatile organics
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c. Lead
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4. Other Criteria Pollutants (Air)

• a. Ozone

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c. Carbon Monoxide (CO)
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b. NOx
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c. SO2
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5. PM10
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6. Water Pollution

• Little long-term data like that for air
  pollution. Best estimates are probably water
  quality measures

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Problem Inadequate Monitoring
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B. Is Pollution Too High?

• 1. Legal standards 40 of Americans breathe
  polluted air and 8-10 drink water from violating
  sources

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2. US vs. Europe One Example
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C. Costs of Regulation

• 1. Growth can coexist with pollution reduction

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2. Typical cost curves

• Marginal costs of pollution control usually
  increase. Why?

Costs
0 25 50 75
100 Pollution Reduction
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Possible Benefits Curves

• Marginal costs of pollution control usually
  increase. Why?
• Need to know size and shape of benefits curve
  (generally linear or diminishing returns)

Costs
0 25 50 75
100 Pollution Reduction
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3. The Apple-Orange Problem

1. Costs are largely economic pollution control /
   prevention costs money and other things one can
   buy with money.
2. Benefits are only partly economic Fewer health
   problems means more hours worked and less spent
   on medical care but also keeps Grandma alive
   for her grandkids!

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Coal Processing Plant, Bigler, PA

• The coal chute crosses a road

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Coal Processing Plant, Bigler, PA

• Across the road is a house

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Wallace and Violet Dixon
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The Story

• Coal plant begins operating in 1981
• Coal chute is uncovered ? coal dust blankets
  nearby homes for years
• Lawsuit in 1980s gains each family about 5000 in
  damages, agreement to cover chute
• Violet awarded more than others since she lived
  next to the chute and experienced chronic
  respiratory distress BUT pretrial agreement
  divides all awards evenly between all plaintiffs
• Violets respiratory symptoms are severe by the
  time the lawsuit is concluded

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Wallace outlives Violet by 13 years
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The Other Side of the Story

• William and Elsie Crandall (my other
  grandparents)
• Affordable coal heated their home for 50 years

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D. Details Matter How do we reduce pollution?
Example GWG Policy
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E. Political Concerns Party Correlates with
Pollution
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