Assessing the Economic Benefits of Reductions in Marine Debris at Southern California Beaches: A Random Utility Travel Cost Model

Christopher G. Leggett, Nora Scherer, Tim Haab, Ryan Bailey, Jason P. Landrum and Adam Domanski

Marine Resource Economics, 2018, vol. 33, issue 2, 133 - 153

Abstract: A random utility maximization (RUM) travel cost model is used to characterize trips to beaches by residents of Orange County, CA. The authors collected on-site measurements of marine debris at 31 beaches in the Orange County area. These data, combined with data on beach trips obtained from a general population survey, were used to estimate a RUM model capable of isolating the impact of marine debris on beach choice. The model is used to estimate the economic benefits associated with several hypothetical reductions in marine debris. The estimated per capita seasonal benefit associated with a 25% reduction in marine debris at all beaches in the choice set is $12.91 (aggregate benefits of $29.5 million in 2013 dollars), while the estimated per capita seasonal benefit associated with a hypothetical improvement potentially associated with the full implementation of the Los Angeles River Trash total maximum daily load (TMDL) is $20.36 (aggregate benefits of $46.5 million).

Date: 2018
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