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The beneficiaries of Clean Air Act regulation

By Kahn, Matthew E
Publication: Regulation
Date: Sunday, April 1 2001
HEADNOTE

ENVIRONMENT

HEADNOTE

Have the poor and minorities gained or lost from efforts to cut pollution?

AMBIENT AIR QUALITY IN

THE United States has improved dramatically in the last 20 years. Despite population growth, reduced utilization of public transit, and increased vehicle use per-capita, emissions per unit of economic activity are falling faster than economic activity has grown. This translates into a reduced exposure to air pollutants for the average person.

We know that the "average" person is experiencing a decrease in air pollution, but we do not know much about the distributional effects of regulation-induced reduction. Have the poor, as well as the wealthy, significantly reduced their exposure to pollutants? Are minorities paying the cost for these regulations as pollution-intensive industries cut their workforce or move away?

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