Working Paper: NBER ID: w29108
Authors: Kenneth Gillingham; Pei Huang
Abstract: This study examines the uneven effects of air pollution from maritime ports on physical and mental health across racial groups. We exploit quasi-random variation in vessels in port from weather events far out in the ocean to estimate how port traffic influences air pollution and human health. We find that one additional vessel in a port over a year leads to 3.0 hospital visits per thousand Black residents within 25 miles of the port and only 1.0 per thousand for whites. We assess a port-related environmental regulation and show that the policy can help alleviate racial inequalities in health outcomes.
Keywords: Air Pollution; Health Disparities; Environmental Justice; Ports; Racial Inequity
JEL Codes: D63; I14; Q51; Q53; Q58; R41
Edges that are evidenced by causal inference methods are in orange, and the rest are in light blue.
| Cause | Effect |
|---|---|
| Port traffic (L91) | Air pollution (Q53) |
| Air pollution (Q53) | Health outcomes (I14) |
| Vessel tonnage (L92) | Air pollution (Q53) |
| Air pollution (Q53) | Hospital visits (I19) |
| California regulation (K23) | Pollutant concentrations (Q53) |
| Pollutant concentrations (Q53) | Hospital visits (I19) |
| Vessel traffic (L92) | Hospital visits (I19) |