The Value of Improvement in Air Quality by Reducing Sulfur Dioxide Gas (SO2) Emitted from Sarcheshmeh Copper Complex: One-and-one-Half-Bound Dichotomous Choice Contingent Valuation Approach

Amirtaimoori, Somayeh; Khalilian, Sadegh; Amirnejad, Hamid; Mohebbi, Ali

doi:10.22059/jte.2013.50573

The Value of Improvement in Air Quality by Reducing Sulfur Dioxide Gas (SO2) Emitted from Sarcheshmeh Copper Complex: One-and-one-Half-Bound Dichotomous Choice Contingent Valuation Approach

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

Somayeh Amirtaimoori ¹

Sadegh Khalilian ²

Hamid Amirnejad ³

Ali Mohebbi ⁴

¹ Ph.D. Student, Department of Agricultural Economics, Tarbiat modares University, Tehran, Iran

² Assistant professors, Department of Agricultural Economics, Tarbiat modares University, Tehran, Iran

³ Assistant professors, Department of Agricultural Economics, Agricultural Science and Natural Resources University, Sari, Iran

⁴ Assistant professors, Department of Chemical Engineering, Shahid Bahonar University, Kerman, Iran

10.22059/jte.2013.50573

Abstract

Sarcheshmeh copper complex is one of the largest industrial-mining complexes in the world and is the largest copper producer in Iran. Despite this, a huge amount of SO₂ gas is produced and enters the environment in this complex. Therefore, this study investigates the value of improvement in air quality and estimates the marginal willingness to pay curve. For this purpose, OOHB DCCV method has been used. A sample of 2158 households was chosen, based on the stratified sampling method. The respondents’ WTP was then elicited through a series of face-to-face interviews. Results showed that 87.3% of the respondents were able to express a positive WTP for the reduction of SO₂ emission from this complex and the improvement in air quality worth 719252.75$ for the regional people. Estimated marginal willingness to pay curve has a rising positive slope. This curve can be a useful tool for policy makers on the use of economic instruments (e.g. tax and subsidies) to control this pollutant.

Keywords

contingent valuation

OOHB method

Sarcheshmeh Copper Complex

SNPDF Estimator

SO2