The Accuracy of Self-Reported Pollution Data: Evidence from the Clean Water Act
Event Details
**This RFF Academic Seminar has been canceled due to a family emergency**
We apologize for such short notice.
Presenter
Jay Shimshack, Assistant Professor of Economics, Tulane University
Abstract
Most major pollution regulations rely on self-reported emissions data. This paper uses extensive U.S. water pollution discharges data to examine the accuracy of environmental self-monitoring. We apply Benford’s Law to seek statistical signatures of reporting anomalies. We seek statistical signatures of misreporting by exploiting the timing of external inspections. We explore the relationship between Clean Water Act self-reported water pollution discharges and ambient water quality data from the U.S.G.S. Preliminary results fail to uncover strong evidence of strategic misreporting.
Date
Thursday, April 12, 2012
10:30 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
Refreshments will be provided.
Location
1st Floor Conference Room
1616 P St. NW
Washington, D.C. 20036
All seminars will be in the 7th Floor Conference Room at RFF, 1616 P Street NW, unless otherwise noted. Attendance is open, but involves pre-registration no later than two days prior to the event. For questions and to register to an event, please contact Khadija Hill at [email protected] (tel. 202-328-5174). Updates to our academic seminars schedule will be posted at www.rff.org/academicseminarseries.
