Approach to valuing visual pollution from Western Electricity Production. [For Western Systems Coordinating Council area]
This paper outlines an approach to valuing visual pollution from electric power plants. The differences between public-good pollution externalities, such as these aesthetic damages, and other market failures are discussed. Approaches generally used to value externalities are briefly described. The approach used relies heavily on an earlier application of bidding games to estimate people's willingness to pay for abatement of emissions from the Four Corners fossil-fuel power plant in northwestern New Mexico. The results of these surveys were used here to estimate the value of visual pollution from electric power plants for residents of and visitors to the Four Corners Air Quality Control Region, as a function of power plant emissions in that region. The approach presented here for the Four Corners region is structured so that replication for other air quality control regions is relatively easy. Preliminary results of this procedure for all of the air quality control regions in the Western Systems Coordinating Council area are presented. Visual pollution damages from electric power plants to residents of and recreational visitors to these western regions are estimated to total more than $100 million annually by 1985. These damages are expected to occur unless additional pollution controls are implemented, even if these subject populations do not increase.
- Research Organization:
- Battelle Pacific Northwest Labs., Richland, WA (United States)
- DOE Contract Number:
- EY-76-C-06-1830
- OSTI ID:
- 7307006
- Report Number(s):
- BNWL-2103
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
AIR POLLUTION CONTROL
COST BENEFIT ANALYSIS
REGIONAL ANALYSIS
FOSSIL-FUEL POWER PLANTS
ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS
AIR POLLUTION
AIR QUALITY
COMMUNITIES
ECONOMY
ENVIRONMENTAL TRANSPORT
GASEOUS WASTES
RECREATIONAL AREAS
SOCIO-ECONOMIC FACTORS
URBAN AREAS
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THERMAL POWER PLANTS
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