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Do Community Characteristics Influence Environmental Outcomes?: Evidence from the Toxics Release Inventory

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  • Seema Arora

    (Vanderbilt University)

  • Timothy N. Cason

    (Purdue University)

Abstract

This research uses neighborhood characteristics (at the zipcode level) in 1990 to explain toxic releases in 1993. It combines the Toxics Release Inventory data with demographic data from the 1990 US Census. We first analyze the location of manufacturing facilities in a particular neighborhood using a sample selection model, and then estimate the relationship between releases in 1993 and the demographic characteristics of the neighborhood in 1990. We conduct the analysis for the entire US as well as for different geographic regions to study regional differences in determinants of environmental outcomes. Releases in non-urban areas of the southeastern US exhibit a pattern suggesting that race might be an important determinant of release patterns. Economic characteristics of neighborhoods (such as income levels and unemployment) also affect releases. Our variables that proxy the propensity for communities to engage in political action exert greater influence on environmental outcomes in non-urban areas.

Suggested Citation

  • Seema Arora & Timothy N. Cason, 1998. "Do Community Characteristics Influence Environmental Outcomes?: Evidence from the Toxics Release Inventory," Journal of Applied Economics, Universidad del CEMA, vol. 1, pages 413-453, November.
    • Handle: RePEc:cem:jaecon:v:1:y:1998:n:2:p:413-453
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    File URL: https://ucema.edu.ar/publicaciones/download/volume1/arora_canson.pdf
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Arora Seema & Cason Timothy N., 1995. "An Experiment in Voluntary Environmental Regulation: Participation in EPA's 33/50 Program," Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, Elsevier, vol. 28(3), pages 271-286, May.
    2. Gene M. Grossman & Alan B. Krueger, 1995. "Economic Growth and the Environment," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 110(2), pages 353-377.
    3. Douglas Anderton & Andy Anderson & John Oakes & Michael Fraser, 1994. "Environmental Equity: The Demographics of Dumping," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 31(2), pages 229-248, May.
    4. Hamilton James T., 1995. "Pollution as News: Media and Stock Market Reactions to the Toxics Release Inventory Data," Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, Elsevier, vol. 28(1), pages 98-113, January.
    5. James T. Hamilton, 1995. "Testing for environmental racism: Prejudice, profits, political power?," Journal of Policy Analysis and Management, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 14(1), pages 107-132.
    6. Kahn, Matthew E & Matsusaka, John G, 1997. "Demand for Environmental Goods: Evidence from Voting Patterns on California Initiatives," Journal of Law and Economics, University of Chicago Press, vol. 40(1), pages 137-173, April.
    7. Konar, Shameek & Cohen, Mark A., 1997. "Information As Regulation: The Effect of Community Right to Know Laws on Toxic Emissions," Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, Elsevier, vol. 32(1), pages 109-124, January.
    8. Heckman, James, 2013. "Sample selection bias as a specification error," Applied Econometrics, Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration (RANEPA), vol. 31(3), pages 129-137.
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    Cited by:

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    3. Garrone, Paola & Groppi, Angelamaria, 2012. "Siting locally-unwanted facilities: What can be learnt from the location of Italian power plants," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 45(C), pages 176-186.
    4. Ann Wolverton, 2009. "The Role of Demographic and Cost-Related Factors in Determining Where Plants Locate - A Tale of Two Texas Cities," NCEE Working Paper Series 200903, National Center for Environmental Economics, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, revised Jun 2009.
    5. Wolverton Ann, 2009. "Effects of Socio-Economic and Input-Related Factors on Polluting Plants' Location Decisions," The B.E. Journal of Economic Analysis & Policy, De Gruyter, vol. 9(1), pages 1-32, March.
    6. Paroma Sanyal & Nidhiya Menon, 2004. "Labor Regulations and Plant Location Choice: Evidence From India," Industrial Organization 0403007, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    7. Xiang Bi, 2017. "“Cleansing the air at the expense of waterways?” Empirical evidence from the toxic releases of coal-fired power plants in the United States," Journal of Regulatory Economics, Springer, vol. 51(1), pages 18-40, February.
    8. Jin, Yanhong & Wang, Hua & Wheeler, David, 2010. "Environmental performance rating and disclosure : an empirical investigation of China's green watch program," Policy Research Working Paper Series 5420, The World Bank.
    9. Stephen Pavelin & Lynda Porter, 2008. "The Corporate Social Performance Content of Innovation in the U.K," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 80(4), pages 711-725, July.
    10. Dean Fantazzini & Mario Maggi, 2014. "Proposed Coal Power Plants and Coal-To-Liquids Plants: Which Ones Survive and Why?," DEM Working Papers Series 082, University of Pavia, Department of Economics and Management.

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