Pollution Abatement Costs, Regulation, and Plant-Level Productivity / Wayne B. Gray, Ronald J. Shadbegian.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Gray, Wayne B.

Contributor:

National Bureau of Economic Research.

Shadbegian, Ronald J.

Series:

Working Paper Series (National Bureau of Economic Research) no. w4994.

NBER working paper series no. w4994

Language:

English

Physical Description:

1 online resource: illustrations (black and white);

Place of Publication:

Cambridge, Mass. National Bureau of Economic Research 1995.

Summary:

We analyze the connection between productivity, pollution abatement expenditures, and other measures of environmental regulation for plants in three industries (paper, oil, and steel). We examine data from 1979 to 1990, considering both total factor productivity levels and growth rates. Plants with higher abatement cost levels have significantly lower productivity levels. The magnitude of the impact is somewhat larger than expected: $1 greater abatement costs appears to be associated with the equivalent of $1.74 in lower productivity for paper mills, $1.35 for oil refineries, and $3.28 for steel mills. However, these results apply only to variation across plants in productivity levels. Estimates looking at productivity variation within plants over time, or estimates using productivity growth rates show a smaller (and insignificant) relationship between abatement costs and productivity. Other measures of environmental regulation faced by the plants (compliance status, enforcement activity, and emissions) are not significantly related to productivity.

Notes:

Print version record

January 1995.