IMPACTS, COSTS, AND TECHNIQUES FOR MITIGATION OF CONTAMINATED GROUNDWATER - A REVIEW

Contamination of the Cohansey aquifer in New Jersey is evaluated using a generalized cost-benefit analysis framework. The plume of contamination is modeled and potential health impacts are projected based on dose-response information available from the Environmental Protection Agency. The economic value of such damages is estimated using alternative mortality risk values that span those found in the recent literature. Costs for controlling the contamination from the site are estimated for alternative levels of control and techniques of control adapting information from the Environmental Protection Agency and other sources. The benefits and cost estimates suggest that both potential damages (or damages averted, i. e. , benefits) and the cost of containment once contamination has occurred can be quite high. Prevention in such cases appears to be the best cure.