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Cost‐effective control of nitrogen loadings in Long Island Sound
Author(s) -
Bennett Lynne L.,
Thorpe Steven G.,
Guse A. Joseph
Publication year - 2000
Publication title -
water resources research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.863
H-Index - 217
eISSN - 1944-7973
pISSN - 0043-1397
DOI - 10.1029/2000wr900199
Subject(s) - environmental science , sound (geography) , scope (computer science) , nitrogen , natural resource economics , control (management) , sewage , business , environmental economics , environmental engineering , environmental resource management , economics , computer science , oceanography , chemistry , geology , management , organic chemistry , programming language
Long Island Sound is plagued by conditions of severe hypoxia (low levels of dissolved oxygen) during the summer months because of the existence of excessive amounts of nitrogen. A new proposal that would allow sewage treatment plants to buy or sell nitrogen discharge credits is currently being evaluated by the states of Connecticut and New York. Existing theory suggests that a trading program for nitrogen emissions would be a cost‐effective means of addressing the problem. We estimate the costs associated with several trading scenarios and find that the potential for cost savings is substantial and that cost savings rise as the scope of trading expands.