Working Paper: NBER ID: w26381
Authors: Karen Clay; Nicholas Z. Muller
Abstract: After declining by 24.2% from 2009 to 2016, annual average fine particulate matter (PM2.5) in the United States in counties with monitors increased by 5.5% between 2016 and 2018. Increases occurred in multiple census regions and in counties that were in and out of attainment with National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS). We explore channels through which the increase may have occurred including increases in economic activity, increases in wildfires, and decreases in Clean Air Act enforcement actions. The health implications of this increase in PM2.5 between 2016 and 2018 are significant. The increase was associated with 9,700 additional premature deaths in 2018. At conventional valuations, these deaths represent damages of $89 billion.
Keywords: No keywords provided
JEL Codes: I10; Q51; Q52; Q53; Q54
Edges that are evidenced by causal inference methods are in orange, and the rest are in light blue.
| Cause | Effect |
|---|---|
| increased PM2.5 levels (Q53) | increased mortality rates (I12) |
| increased economic activity (F69) | increased PM2.5 emissions (F64) |
| wildfires (Q54) | deterioration of air quality (Q53) |
| decreased enforcement actions of the Clean Air Act (Q52) | higher pollution levels (Q53) |