Two chemical companies, A and B, operate in a small New England town. Every week A releases 40 gallons of dioxin into the town’s aquifer, while B releases 30 gallons during the same time frame. It would cost A $800 per gallon to clean up its production, while B can clean up its waste at a cost of $500 per gallon. After this issue is raised at a town hall meeting, the town’s residents vote to reduce total dioxin pollution to 20 gallons per week. a. What would be the total cost of pollution reduction if each company were limited to 10 gallons of waste per week? b. What would the total costs be if each company received 10 gallons worth of tradable pollution credits?
1. Two chemical companies, A and B, operate in a small New England town. Every week A releases 40 gallons of dioxin into the town’s aquifer, while B releases 30 gallons during the same time frame. It would cost A $800 per gallon to clean up its production, while B can clean up its waste at a cost of $500 per gallon. After this issue is raised at a town hall meeting, the town’s residents vote to reduce total dioxin pollution to 20 gallons per week.
a. What would be the total cost of pollution reduction if each company were limited to 10 gallons of waste per week?
b. What would the total costs be if each company received 10 gallons worth of tradable pollution credits?
2. A wheat farmer and a cattle rancher occupy adjacent parcels of land. Every year the farmer builds a fence to keep the cattle out of his field, and every year the rancher tears the fence down so that the cattle can roam free. The farmer values the wheat that gets destroyed at $300, while the rancher values having a field of grain for his cattle to fatten up on at $500.
b. What will be the likely outcome if the farmer is granted legal rights to the land?
c. Would this outcome change if the rancher were granted legal rights to all the land?
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