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Effects of Water Quality Monitoring on Plant-Level Pollution: Evidence from the Clean Water Act

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  • Lopamudra Chakraborti

Abstract

This paper utilizes a 70% drop in ambient water quality monitoring to show that point sources increase their pollutant discharges in the posttreatment period. Our sample examines 264 major municipal plants in Pennsylvania, South Carolina, and Virginia from 1990 to 2010. Results show that plants in the treatment group increase the relative quantity and concentration discharges of biological oxygen demand between 18% and 39% in contrast to the control group. Estimated coefficients are large in magnitude given prior evidence on the inflexibility of water pollution abatement levels relative to discharge limits.

Suggested Citation

  • Lopamudra Chakraborti, 2020. "Effects of Water Quality Monitoring on Plant-Level Pollution: Evidence from the Clean Water Act," Land Economics, University of Wisconsin Press, vol. 96(3), pages 349-365.
    • Handle: RePEc:uwp:landec:v:96:y:2020:1:3:p:349-365
    Note: DOI: 10.3368/le.96.3.349
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • Q52 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Environmental Economics - - - Pollution Control Adoption and Costs; Distributional Effects; Employment Effects
    • Q53 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Environmental Economics - - - Air Pollution; Water Pollution; Noise; Hazardous Waste; Solid Waste; Recycling

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