Case Study about Valuing Mortality Risk Reductions
Abstract: The value of mortality risk reduction is an important component of the benefits of environmental policies. In recent years, the number, scope, and quality of valuation studies have increased dramatically. Revealed preference studies of wage compensation for occupational risks, on which analysts have primarily relied, have benefited from improved data and statistical methods. Stated preference research has improved methodologically and expanded dramatically. Studies are now available for several health conditions associated with environmental causes, and researchers have explored many issues concerning the validity of the estimates.
Introduction: The value of mortality risk reduction is a major determinant of the benefits of environmental policies and regulations. The quantified benefits of environmental improvements have long been dominated by the effects of reduced air pollution, with reductions in mortality risks accounting for more than 90 percent of quantified benefits of the 1990 Clean Air Act Amendments (U.S. EPA 2011). Mortality risk reductions also contribute significantly to the benefits of drinking water regulations and other environmental policies. Regulations often affect risks of heart and lung disease and several types of cancer.
Click here to read more on Valuing Mortality Risk Reductions