Document Type
Thesis
Date of Degree Completion
Spring 2020
Degree Name
Master of Science (MS)
Department
Cultural and Environmental Resource Management
Committee Chair
Toni Sipic
Second Committee Member
Chad Wassel
Third Committee Member
Jessica Martin
Abstract
Area-wide lead-arsenate contamination stemming from the widespread use of pesticides in the early 1900s poses a serious health risk to the residents of Yakima, Washington. Soil testing for contaminants resulted in the Department of Ecology funding the remediation of 6 elementary schools in Yakima, Washington where unsafe levels of lead and arsenic were found in the topsoil. This study will evaluate the impact that these remediation projects have had on nearby real estate values through the use of GIS analysis and multivariate hedonic pricing models. We expect to find a negative price effect on real estate values following the announcement of remediation efforts and a more significant positive price effect following the completion of the remediation. These price effects will be used in conducting a cost-benefit analysis. These findings can be used by policymakers to inform decisions regarding funding for future remediation efforts
Recommended Citation
Urbanski, Seth, "The Economic Impacts of Soil Remediation Efforts at Lead Arsenate Contaminated Sites in Yakima County: A Hedonic Approach" (2020). All Master's Theses. 1374.
https://digitalcommons.cwu.edu/etd/1374