Skip to Main Content
 

Global Search Box

 
 
 
 

Files

File List


DabrowskaKorneliaA2004 mt.pdf (1.33 MB)

ETD Abstract Container

Abstract Header

A Hedonic evaluation of environmental disamenities: the case of a contaminated river corridor and a landfill

Dabrowska, Kornelia A.
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1406712781

Abstract Details

2004, Master of Science, Ohio State University, Agricultural, Environmental and Developmental Economics.
The lower corridor of the Mahoning river (continuing for 31-33 miles past Warren, Ohio) has been contaminated with heavy metals, PCB’s and PAH’s. A restoration project has been proposed involving the eventual removal of the rivers contaminated sediments and their transfer to the Carbon Limestone Landfill located on the Ohio-Pennsylvania border. The objectives of this research were two fold, (1) to estimate a hedonic regression evaluating the effect of the “disamenity” provided by the polluted river, as well as (2) to estimate a second hedonic regression addressing the impact of the landfill selected to receive the contaminated sediments. The detrimental effects of the latter needs to be accounted for in the assessment of the full costs associated with the river’s restoration. The Hedonic models estimated in this study were composed of data from 2 Ohio counties, and one county in northwestern Pennsylvania. In the river model, the proximity of parcels to the river was found to be highly significant in both the contaminated and noncontaminated river segments. Other community characteristics also appeared to be of vital importance. Using the semi-elasticities revealed by the model a marginal price of $0.0036 (per foot) was calculated, for reducing the distance separating the parcel from the river bank in the noncontaminated river segment. For parcels located in the contaminated river segment a marginal price of $0.00036 was calculated for increasing the distance separating the parcel from the river. In the landfill scenerio, the proximity of the parcel to the river was again found to be highly significant. A 1% increase in the proximity of the property to the river leads to a 0.046% decrease property value. For the average property this amounts to a decrease of $0.0039 per roughly 80 feet. A 1% increase in the proximity of the property to the landfill amounts to a 0.047% increase in the value of the property. This inverse relationship was entirely unexpected; the variable however was highly insignificant therefore these results were not extremely worrying. It may be that homeowners in the region are not aware of the presence of the landfill. Although the coefficients of the focus variables were highly significant they did not yield marginal price estimates that would be considered economically “significant.” This may be different if the aggregate benefits of the river’s restoration were to be evaluated, but aggregate benefits can not be forecasted using the results here, such an effort would require the estimation of a second stage hedonic function. Interviews or survey work would enhance the ability of the investigator to determine the extent of the influence of environmental amenities (or disamenities) in the region. Evaluating both homeowners and assessor’s knowledge of the landfill would be critical. The models indicate that information is key, otherwise the value of environmental amenities may not be capitalized by the housing market. The data reveal that homeowners perceive the river to be an important component of the purchasing decision and properties in the contaminated river segment are likely to gain value as a result of the river’s restoration. The disamenity effect of the landfill does not appear to be as strong as initially anticipated.
Fredrick Hitzhusen (Advisor)
Tim Haab (Committee Member)
Matthew Roberts (Committee Member)
81 p.
Environmental Economics

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Dabrowska, K. A. (2004). A Hedonic evaluation of environmental disamenities: the case of a contaminated river corridor and a landfill [Master's thesis, Ohio State University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1406712781

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Dabrowska, Kornelia. A Hedonic evaluation of environmental disamenities: the case of a contaminated river corridor and a landfill. 2004. Ohio State University, Master's thesis. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1406712781.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Dabrowska, Kornelia. "A Hedonic evaluation of environmental disamenities: the case of a contaminated river corridor and a landfill." Master's thesis, Ohio State University, 2004. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1406712781

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

osu1406712781
186
© 2004, all rights reserved.
This open access ETD is published by The Ohio State University and OhioLINK.