Essays on Environmental Economics

Today’s environmental policies are implemented in a world experiencing paradigm-shifting physical and social changes. The changing climate is bringing with it more frequent and severe natural disasters, putting communities at risk of dangerous weather conditions and new chemical exposures. At the same time, changes in the relationships of government institutions, including state and federal agencies and the executive and legislative branches, have raised questions about the ability of government institutions to effectively implement decades-old environmental policies. This dissertation tackles three separate but related questions about the implementation of environmental regulation. The first essay addresses the EPA’s efforts to reduce the likelihood and severity of accidental chemical releases, focusing on the disproportionate frequency of chemical accidents in socially vulnerable communities and communities experiencing climate-related natural disasters. The second essay revisits the topic of deterrence produced through compliance monitoring and enforcement, this time with a focus on the presence of both EPA and state regulators. The third essay ponders the relationship between hazardous waste compliance monitoring and enforcement and political representation. Taken together, these three essays advance knowledge on the implementation and effectiveness of environmental regulatory policy in a changing world.

Author

• Paul, Sean

Language

• en

Keyword

• Hazardous Waste
• Environmental Policy
• Political Economy
• Regulation

Date created

• 2025

Type of Work

• Dissertation

License

• All rights reserved

Rights statement

• In Copyright

GW Unit

• Public Policy & Administration

Degree

• Ph.D.

Advisor

• Balla, Steven J

Committee Member(s)

• Carrigan, Christopher
• Linquiti, Peter

Persistent URL

•  https://scholarspace.library.gwu.edu/etd/c534fp96s