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Impact of Hazardous Substances Regulations on Small Firms in Delaware and New Jersey
Author(s) -
Schaller Leon C.,
McNulty Patrick J.,
Chinander Karen R.
Publication year - 1998
Publication title -
risk analysis
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.972
H-Index - 130
eISSN - 1539-6924
pISSN - 0272-4332
DOI - 10.1111/j.1539-6924.1998.tb00929.x
Subject(s) - hazardous waste , agency (philosophy) , business , environmental regulation , clean air act , process safety management , natural resource economics , waste management , engineering , economics , air pollution , philosophy , chemistry , organic chemistry , epistemology
Regulations under the 1990 Amendments to the Clean Air Act impose significant requirements on firms handling hazardous chemicals. The nature of the regulations would suggest that small firms, because of limited resources and other structural limitations, would experience more difficulty complying with the regulations than large firms. To understand the difficulties imposed by the regulations on small firms, we interviewed ten small firms in Delaware and New Jersey, states with existing hazardous regulations similar to those being considered by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and evaluated their responses to state regulations. The impacts of the environmental regulations on the firms and on the risk levels of their businesses are discussed. Propositions for research into small firms compliance are developed. Possible means for reducing the regulatory burden on small firms while enhancing regulatory effectiveness are suggested.