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Superfund Cleanups and Children’s Lead Exposure

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  • Klemick, Heather
  • Mason, Henry
  • Sullivan, Karen

Abstract

This study evaluates the effect of EPA’s Superfund cleanup program on children’s lead exposure. We linked two decades of blood lead level (BLL) measurements from children in six states with data on Superfund sites and other lead risk factors. We used quasi-experimental methods to identify the causal effect of proximity to Superfund cleanups on rates of elevated BLL. We estimated a difference-in-difference model comparing the change in elevated BLL of children closer to versus farther from lead-contaminated sites before, during, and after cleanup. We also estimated a triple difference model including children near hazardous sites with minimal to no lead contamination as a comparison group. We used spatial fixed effects and matching to minimize potential bias from unobserved differences between the treatment and comparison groups. Results indicate that Superfund cleanups lowered the risk of elevated BLL for children living within 2 kilometers of lead-contaminated sites 8 to18 percent.

Suggested Citation

  • Klemick, Heather & Mason, Henry & Sullivan, Karen, 2019. "Superfund Cleanups and Children’s Lead Exposure," National Center for Environmental Economics-NCEE Working Papers 283552, United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
    • Handle: RePEc:ags:nceewp:283552
    DOI: 10.22004/ag.econ.283552
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    Cited by:

    1. Dave, Dhaval M. & Yang, Muzhe, 2022. "Lead in drinking water and birth outcomes: A tale of two water treatment plants," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 84(C).
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    3. Travis Chow & Zhongwen Fan & Li Huang & Oliver Zhen Li & Siman Li, 2023. "Reciprocity in Corporate Tax Compliance—Evidence from Ozone Pollution," Journal of Accounting Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 61(5), pages 1425-1477, December.
    4. Abbasi, Ali & DiTraglia, Francis J. & Gazze, Ludovica & Pals, Bridget, 2023. "Hidden hazards and screening policy: Predicting undetected lead exposure in Illinois," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 90(C).

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Environmental Economics and Policy; Health Economics and Policy;

    JEL classification:

    • I14 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Health and Inequality
    • I18 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Government Policy; Regulation; Public Health
    • Q51 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Environmental Economics - - - Valuation of Environmental 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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