cor'."'rrrE !&II!'! BENEX'ITS OF ENVTRONMENTAL, HEALTH, AND ...

40
the ozone layer. It has been estimated that the benefits of the alrug
cfficac.y requi_rements tnder the 1g62 Kefaui,er-Ilar'ris AmendmenG
ln.tude a rcductron of $100 to $800 million per year in consumer
purchases of inefiective dmgs.
lToorl safety and qtnli.ta reqr+latzotr
'lVhile
the Food Srfeil'and. Quality Sen.iee was established by
exccrl rt.p aItlroriLJ in 1977, lhe fedr.tal qorerrrmnnt iDjpp,.iion ;f
meats. L,oultr'l' anrl processed food began in1800. lhc beDefiis oI these
rrrtrvitiFs xro rjr;lnifest in thc orelall iluality anrl plritv oJ -\rrrelicars
lood-supply and ure d"cplr ingrrincd in ilic,luatirl corrtrol eflorts of
thc food processing rnd dislrihrriion indusrrr.'l lrri- rhel arc ,liffiL.ult
fo g.grl;ze toda\'..Reccnt studias thrtqnuntiil rlre h,,n,.fiis of nhrrrges
ln l5(J:i regulirttons- irave found. Ior er;rmpJo. corr,irler.rrble Lcnr.tii,: in
llre lorl ol n.dllceil co||sllntel i'xpo$||re to polcnlirrllv r,tl...i ogenic
foocl preservatives and in the lorm of botli mtire.:ffi.,ient rrtilizatiEn of
meat carczrsses and cost sat'ings to meat processors.
O ccupatictrutl nf cty atul hzo)th regulation
The total cost of industrial accidents in 19?5 has becn estimateil ot.
$14.7_biliion. Several studies have found that ted".al anif siote o""r,pationrl
safetl and herltli regulrtions hrrve helpcd to rcduce accidcnial
ur;unes and deaths. In both 1974 anrl 19?5. OSH.\- safetv nnd healtlr
irrspoction actir-itios pler-nnted betrvcen 40,000 and 60,000 )6si-n-orkday
flccrderts and uD to 310 deaths.
-_ Rg,crlations limiting ^rrorkor clpo_surg to asbestos may ultinrately
res ll In ir lpdu( lion of 630 lo 2.i00 rlplths per yelr fronill|ng ftrncer
and rsLo.lo"i-.. Sigrrificant ad,lirionrrl b*ncfiG rvill .,""u" in rhe-f,,,.m of
re(llc{ d lnct,ll'ltcr. of clncer a nrl.nl I rer diser.e rluo rn OSHA regrr ll t ion
of srrclr hrrzr rd- as vinl l clrlori,lc. ,"oi ron d ust. le,rrl. ;",.l ;;iri
W ater p ollu,tiott, requl ati,om
^ Watcr ;'ollution control regulation has been shorr.rr to produce benefits
rn lerms ot impror..d" l,rrblic lrlalth. incr,.rs,,J I,roperil values, and
cxpa.nded nppor{unities fot rcr-roaIionrrIuseol $.rter lp.otir.ce5. gqy.rrl
studles hitye esttm{rted thlt r.educccl incidence oi rr.aterborn disease
due to rva-ter. pgllution rrgrrlatiou has rtsultecl in-be""di. ,;oi""a "t fr.-
I wcr.n g1:15 mrllion
-and
Sl I'illion l,or -\.ear,. Srldies of thc public.s
\vllnngress to pct'for rocrontional rr.e of waler rosourccs in ser.erll
rpgrons of lhe counl rr. har.e sugge.ted that thc pfl.se|valion of rrltcl
qualrl\ lor rncrettt(\|lal u"es mat-be rvor.ilr a. nrirch sS9.J billiorr pol.
vear nationrvide. Studies have ilso found that the valirc ni
on rrnl'ollrrlcd
1xnp"i.t"-
\riicr\r!!s rnlr be as nrrrrlr rs 2.iA higl,.,.il,r'n-"il,,irj-
'*"
llent propertv located orr yi;ibh, pollnted lr"t";;;o;.
6.3 THD STAIIE-OF-TIIE-ANT OF BENRFII1I DSTIIfATION
. . Estimating the benefits of environmental.- health and safetv
tionsis
regula_
a neri; art form that is still i" n p;iriai;; ,;i;f ;fi;;i;-""r.
Despite the fact that *"". i"nestigaiiniii - f.,"r:. io"l,i;foa ""a
flllclrl,ted to Ineuslr^ thp henefiis ,'f .lrenifin regllalorv pr.ogl.rrrns. ii
rnu,qt bc recalled that estimating the bcnetits oi ""g,.i,itiirr-ir..,rr, ".*treme_I1'
cornplox analr-1ical iask {or whlch rpnrinriain j,,,, ,,^d
models are ofion rrnar-ailable. F'rrth"rmore. ihor'i i,." '"".1o,,.ii.r.,t"-"