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By Frank Hao Wen and K. William Easter; EROSION AND THE LOSS OF SOIL PRODUCTIVITY ON THE TERRIL SOIL SERIES IN MINNESOTA.
As the number and cost of environmental regulations have increased over the last thirty years, the regulated community, taxpayers, and policy makers have begun to demand that the benefits of regulations justify their costs. The use of... more
As the number and cost of environmental regulations have increased over the last thirty years, the regulated community, taxpayers, and policy makers have begun to demand that the benefits of regulations justify their costs. The use of benefit-cost analysis as an integral part of developing new regulations is increasing and the demands and expectations being placed on the method have expanded. Although benefit-cost analysis is expected to play an even greater role in environmental decision making in the years ahead, questions remain concerning whether benefit-cost analysis can meet these expectations. This paper explores the role of benefit-cost analysis in US public investment and environmental decision making and examines how benefit-cost methods are responding to new analytic demands. It reviews the US experience with benefit-cost analysis at the Federal and State levels of government and discusses several applications to environmental regulations, illustrating how such analysis c...
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Research Interests: Engineering, Sociology, Irrigation, Groundwater, Groundwater recharge, and 15 moreAquatic Ecosystems, Agricultural Production, Aquifers, Saltwater Intrusion, River Basin, AQUIFER, Pipelines, Price Discrimination, Drainage, Demand Management, Irrigation systems, Operators, Marginal cost, Central Government, and Root Zone
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A mail survey was conducted in Minnesota in 1997 to estimate the value of reducing phosphorus levels in the Minnesota River by 40%. The general population survey of river basin residents was designed to gather information about... more
A mail survey was conducted in Minnesota in 1997 to estimate the value of reducing phosphorus levels in the Minnesota River by 40%. The general population survey of river basin residents was designed to gather information about respondents' use of the Minnesota River in addition to their valuation of a hypothetical water quality improvement program. An estimate of the value of a specific recreational site along the River, the Minnesota Valley National Wildlife Refuge, was also obtained. Three distinct models were estimated in this research. The first was a contingent valuation model estimating the willingness to pay (WTP) for water quality improvements in the Minnesota River using only stated preference data. There were two different payment vehicles used in this question, an increase in the state income tax and a water bill surcharge. Respondents' annual mean willingness to pay for a 40% reduction in phosphorus was estimated to be $14.07 using this model and the tax vehicle, while the mean willingness to pay via the water bill surcharge was estimated to be $19.64 annually. The second model utilized stated preference data from respondents along with responses about their actual visit behavior. A panel model was constructed using the responses to three separate questions concerning the value of a 40% reduction in phosphorus pollution and yielded an estimate of $38.88 per year. The final model used only data from the subset of respondents who had actually visited the Minnesota Valley National Wildlife Refuge. The recreational value of a typical trip to the Refuge was estimated to be $28.71 per individual.
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... rural life, even though the first SAU was not founded until 1960 and the last one in 1986 (Raman, Balaguru, and Manikandan). ... He quoted Sir Joseph Hutchin-son, of Cambridge University, who had re-marked that the most significant... more
... rural life, even though the first SAU was not founded until 1960 and the last one in 1986 (Raman, Balaguru, and Manikandan). ... He quoted Sir Joseph Hutchin-son, of Cambridge University, who had re-marked that the most significant development in Indian agriculture during ...
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Research Interests: Environmental Engineering, Civil Engineering, International Trade, Phosphorus, Nonpoint Source Pollution, and 15 moreErosion, Case Study, Balance, Projects, Environmental protection, Cost effectiveness, Pollutants, Pollution Control, River Basin, Economic and Regional Growth, Cost Saving, Term Structure, River Discharge, Drainage Basins, and regional economic growth
Open space may provide a variety of environmental services, such as flood control, prevention of soil erosion, storage and recycling of wastes, and scenic views, which do not have traditional market values. This study assesses the value... more
Open space may provide a variety of environmental services, such as flood control, prevention of soil erosion, storage and recycling of wastes, and scenic views, which do not have traditional market values. This study assesses the value of these amenities in Dakota County, Minnesota, by estimating the marginal price of open space proximity to housing, with the hedonic property price
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Water markets may provide a workable alternative to high administrative pricing strategies for water. Markets can be formal or informal, depending on the country, the water resources, and the type of trade anticipated. In selected areas... more
Water markets may provide a workable alternative to high administrative pricing strategies for water. Markets can be formal or informal, depending on the country, the water resources, and the type of trade anticipated. In selected areas of northern Chile, formal markets have significantly improved the allocation efficiency of water, both within and between sectors. In other countries such as India and Pakistan, informal markets are more common than was once realized, but occur only within a given irrigation system or district. If the major inefficiencies in water allocation are within irrigation districts, then informal markets may be sufficient. But where interjurisdictional trades offer most of the potential for gains from trade, steps should be taken to establish formal water markets.
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... In Amman, Jordan, the average ... 9 water supply from wells located closer to the canals or in pockets of fresher groundwater ... Shah (1993) notes a lack of balance between the numbers of buyers and sellers in areas with high... more
... In Amman, Jordan, the average ... 9 water supply from wells located closer to the canals or in pockets of fresher groundwater ... Shah (1993) notes a lack of balance between the numbers of buyers and sellers in areas with high capacity wells, where there may be as many as 70 or 80 ...
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... Water markets will only be active in regions with water scarcity. ... In areas where it is costly to establish, allocate, and enforce water fights, markets will be slow to develop ... This has been an important factor in limiting... more
... Water markets will only be active in regions with water scarcity. ... In areas where it is costly to establish, allocate, and enforce water fights, markets will be slow to develop ... This has been an important factor in limiting market development in South Asia, where the existence of a large ...
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By Jerry E. Fruin, Gordon Garry, K. William Easter and Harald R. Jensen; Abstract: The objective of this study is to develop a methodology for evaluating the economic feasibility of participating in.
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When evaluating the economic efficiency of policies to reduce nonpoint source pollution, administrative or transaction costs are usually not taken into account. While the importance of transaction costs has been recognized in the... more
When evaluating the economic efficiency of policies to reduce nonpoint source pollution, administrative or transaction costs are usually not taken into account. While the importance of transaction costs has been recognized in the theoretical literature, the fact that they are not incorporated in empirical analyses means that, in effect, these costs are given a zero value. This issue is examined quantitatively using data collected by the National Resource Conservation Service (NRCS). Transaction costs are found to be a significant portion (38 percent) of overall conservation costs. This provides strong support for including these costs in economic evaluations of alternative policy instruments.
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Why do countries� greenhouse gas (GHG) intensities differ? How much of a country�s GHG intensity is set by inflexible national circumstances, and how much may be altered by policy? These questions are common in climate change policy... more
Why do countries� greenhouse gas (GHG) intensities differ? How much of a country�s GHG intensity is set by inflexible national circumstances, and how much may be altered by policy? These questions are common in climate change policy discourse and may influence emission reduction allocations. Despite the policy relevance of the discussion, little quantitative analysis has been done. In this paper we address these questions in the context of the G7 by applying a pair of simple quantitative methodologies: decomposition analysis and allocation of fossil fuel production emissions to end-users instead of producers. According to our analysis and available data, climate and geographic size � both inflexible national characteristics � can have a significant effect on a country�s GHG intensity. A country�s methods for producing electricity and net trade in fossil fuels are also significant, while industrial structure has little effect at the available level of data disaggregation.
To implement effective water management, institutional and organizational arrangements must be developed to deal with market and government failures. The major types of market failure are: the positive and negative externalities, which... more
To implement effective water management, institutional and organizational arrangements must be developed to deal with market and government failures. The major types of market failure are: the positive and negative externalities, which lead to non-optimal resource provision; nonexcludability and nonsubtractability, which contribute to the under-provision of goods or services; and natural monopolies, which result in non-competitive pricing. Nonexcludability refers to
As point sources of pollution reduce their emissions due to water quality control efforts, nonpoint sources have become relatively more important. In the case of agricultural nonpoint source pollution, the policy instruments recommended... more
As point sources of pollution reduce their emissions due to water quality control efforts, nonpoint sources have become relatively more important. In the case of agricultural nonpoint source pollution, the policy instruments recommended by economists are not observed in practice. This study was designed to measure the magnitude of transaction costs associated with policies to reduce agricultural nonpoint source pollution and to determine whether transaction costs help explain the prevalence of the policies actually observed. Interviews with staff from governmental agencies were conducted to estimate transaction costs associated with four policies to reduce agricultural phosphorous pollution in the Minnesota River. The tax on phosphate fertilizers had the lowest transaction costs (U.S. $0.94 million), followed by educational programs on best management practices ($3.11 million), the requirement for conservation tillage on all cropped land ($7.85 million), and expansion of a permanent...
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... literature on institutional sources of conflict, focusing on market and non-market fai-lure, discuss some institutional arrangements and policy ... Until the Chicago Sanitary District added treatmentplants in 1922, the diversion... more
... literature on institutional sources of conflict, focusing on market and non-market fai-lure, discuss some institutional arrangements and policy ... Until the Chicago Sanitary District added treatmentplants in 1922, the diversion 'created a problem of catastrophic proportions for the ...
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... There are also larger institutional issues involved such as whether farmers have the ... would be involved include the Minnesota Extension Service, Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA ... was contacted regarding their estimates... more
... There are also larger institutional issues involved such as whether farmers have the ... would be involved include the Minnesota Extension Service, Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA ... was contacted regarding their estimates of costs relating to alternative policy options. ...