NCEE Seminar: The Social Cost of Nutrient Pollution

Virtual Seminar
Washington, DC 20460
United States

Contact: Ann Wolverton, 202-566-2278 ([email protected])

Presenters: Cathy Kling, Cornell University

Description: Nutrient pollution of water bodies in the United States is a growing issue with excessive nutrient loads documented in all fifty states. In this study, the authors develop an integrated assessment model for nutrient pollution that spans the continental US and incorporates many of the direct social damages generated by this pollution. These social costs include costs to clean drinking water to meet health standard, the lost recreational opportunities from damaged lakes and streams, diminished aesthetic enjoyment that is capitalized into housing values, and additional use/nonuse values associated with ecological degradation of water-based ecosystems. By quantifying these social costs, policy makers can prioritize expenditures and evaluate the need for policy changes.

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