Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-ndw9j Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-08T17:34:06.294Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Tradable Permits for Controlling Nitrates in Groundwater at the Farm Level: A Conceptual Model

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  28 April 2015

Cynthia L. Morgan ,
Jay S. Coggins  and
Vernon R. Eidman
Cynthia L. Morgan
Affiliation:
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Jay S. Coggins
Affiliation:
Department of Applied Economics, University of Minnesota
Vernon R. Eidman
Affiliation:
Department of Applied Economics, University of Minnesota
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Nitrate contamination of municipal and domestic well water supplies is becoming an increasing problem in many rural and urban areas, raising the cost of providing safe drinking water. The objective of this paper is to describe a marketable permit scheme that can effectively manage nitrate pollution of groundwater supplies for communities in rural areas without hindering agricultural production in watersheds. The key to implementing this scheme is being able to link nitrate leaching from nitrogen fertilizer applied to crops at a farm to nitrate levels measured at a drinking water well.

Keywords

agriculturegroundwater pollutionleaching, nitratespollution trading
Type
Invited Paper Sessions
Information
Journal of Agricultural and Applied Economics , Volume 32 , Issue 2 , August 2000 , pp. 249 - 258
Copyright
Copyright © Southern Agricultural Economics Association 2000

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Atkinson, S.E. and Lewis, D.H.. “A Cost-Effective Analysis of Alternative Air Quality Control Strategies.” Journal of Environmental Economics and Management 1(1974):237–50.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Baumol, W.J. and Oates, W.E.. The Theory of Environmental Policy, Second Edition. New York: Cambridge University Press, 1988.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Brady, Nyle. The Nature and Properties of Soils, Ninth Edition. MacMillan Publishing Company: New York. 1984.Google Scholar
Engineering Computer Graphics Laboratory, Brigh-am Young University. GMS, Department of Defense, Groundwater Modeling System, Version 1.1, 1995.Google Scholar
Environmental Protection Agency. Another Look: National Survey of Pesticides in Drinking Water Wells: Phase II Report. EPA 579/09-91-020, January 1992.Google Scholar
Fleming, Ronald “The Economics of Agricultural Groundwater Quality: Effects of Spatial and Temporal Variability on Policy Design.” Ph.D. Thesis, Oregon State University, 1995.Google Scholar
Freeze, R.A., and Cherry, John. Groundwater. Prentice-Hall: New Jersey. 1979.Google Scholar
Knisei, W.G., ed. GLEAMS, Groundwater Loading Effects of Agricultural Management Systems, Version 2.10, UGA-CPES-BAED, Publication No. 5, 1993.Google Scholar
Mapp, H.P., Bernardo, D.J., Sabbagh, G.J., Geleta, S., and Watkins, K.B.. “Economic and Environmental Impacts of Limiting Nitrogen Use to Protect Water Quality: A Stochastic Regional Analysis.” American Journal of Agricultural Economics 76(November 1994):889–903.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
McGartland, A.M. and Oates, W.E.. “Marketable Permits for the Prevention of Environmental Deterioration.” Journal of Environmental Economics and Management 12(1985):207–228.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Montgomery, W. David. “Markets in Licenses and Efficient Pollution Control Programs.” Journal of Economic Theory 5(1972):395–418.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
O'Leary, Mike, Rehm, George, and Schmitt, Michael. “Understanding Nitrogen in Soils.” Minnesota Extension Service, University of Minnesota, FO-3770-C, 1994.Google Scholar
O'Neil, William B. and Raucher, Robert S.. “The Costs of Groundwater Contamination.” Journal of Soil and Water Conservation 45(1990):180–183.Google Scholar
Pan, J.H., and Hodge, I.. “Land Use Permits as an Alternative To Fertilizer and Leaching Taxes for the Control of Nitrate Pollution.” Journal of Agricultural Economics 45(1994):102–112.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Thomas, A.The Bioeconomics of Regulation Nitrates in Groundwater from Agricultural Production: Comparing Taxes, Quantity Restrictions, and Pollution Permits. Unpublished Ph.D. Thesis, Cornell University, August 1994.Google Scholar
Wall, Dave. “Nitrate in Groundwater-Existing Conditions and Trends.” Nitrogen in Minnesota Groundwater, prepared for the Legislative Water Commission, December, 1991.Google Scholar