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Nonpoint Source Pollution, Uniform Control Strategies, and the Neuse River Basin
Author(s) -
Schwabe Kurt A.
Publication year - 2001
Publication title -
applied economic perspectives and policy
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.4
H-Index - 49
eISSN - 2040-5804
pISSN - 2040-5790
DOI - 10.1111/1467-9353.00066
Subject(s) - nonpoint source pollution , environmental science , pollution , drainage basin , water pollution , structural basin , water resource management , hydrology (agriculture) , ecology , geography , geology , biology , geotechnical engineering , paleontology , cartography
This research investigates various policy options considered by the state of North Carolina for reducing nonpoint source pollution. Focusing on nitrogen runoff from cropping activities, we estimate and compare the control costs and estuarine nutrient loadings under both the initial proposed rules, which were quite uniform, and the more flexible final proposed rules. We then illustrate the magnitude to which the outcomes from models and policies can diverge depending upon the treatment of the application‐specific environmental heterogeneity. Such an analysis illustrates the relative importance of certain types of heterogeneity associated with the environment on policy design and real‐world outcomes.