Unwatched Pollution: The Effect of Intermittent Monitoring on Air Quality

Eric Zou

American Economic Review, 2021, vol. 111, issue 7, 2101-26

Abstract: Intermittent monitoring of environmental standards may induce strategic changes in polluting activities. This paper documents local strategic responses to a cyclical, once-every-six-day air quality monitoring schedule under the federal Clean Air Act. Using satellite data of monitored areas, I show that air quality is significantly worse on unmonitored days. This effect is explained by short-term suppression of pollution on monitored days, especially during high-pollution periods when the city's noncompliance risk is high. Cities' use of air quality warnings increases on monitored days, which suggests local governments' role in coordinating emission reductions.

JEL-codes: K32 Q53 Q58 R11 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (52)

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DOI: 10.1257/aer.20181346

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