Abstract
We are the first to examine the effect of Superfund cleanups on infant health rather than focusing on proximity to a site. We study singleton births to mothers residing within 5km of a Superfund site between 1989-2003 in five large states. Our "difference in differences" approach compares birth outcomes before and after a site clean-up for mothers who live within 2,000 meters of the site and those who live between 2,000-5,000 meters of a site. We find that proximity to a Superfund site before cleanup is associated with a 20 to 25% increase in the risk of congenital anomalies.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 435-441 |
Number of pages | 7 |
Journal | American Economic Review |
Volume | 101 |
Issue number | 3 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - May 2011 |
Externally published | Yes |
All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes
- Economics and Econometrics