Environmental Health Risks and Housing Values: Evidence from 1,600 Toxic Plant Openings and Closings

Janet Currie, Lucas Davis, Michael Greenstone and Reed Walker

American Economic Review, 2015, vol. 105, issue 2, 678-709

Abstract: Regulatory oversight of toxic emissions from industrial plants and understanding about these emissions' impacts are in their infancy. Applying a research design based on the openings and closings of 1,600 industrial plants to rich data on housing markets and infant health, we find that: toxic air emissions affect air quality only within 1 mile of the plant; plant openings lead to 11 percent declines in housing values within 0.5 mile or a loss of about $4.25 million for these households; and a plant's operation is associated with a roughly 3 percent increase in the probability of low birthweight within 1 mile. (JEL I12, L60, Q52, Q53, Q58, R23, R31)

JEL-codes: I12 L60 Q52 Q53 Q58 R23 R31 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2015
Note: DOI: 10.1257/aer.20121656
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (242)

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