THE EFFECTS OF ELECTROMAGNETIC-FIELDS FROM TRANSMISSION-LINES ON PUBLIC FEARS AND PROPERTY-VALUES

Citation
R. Gregory et D. Vonwinterfeldt, THE EFFECTS OF ELECTROMAGNETIC-FIELDS FROM TRANSMISSION-LINES ON PUBLIC FEARS AND PROPERTY-VALUES, Journal of environmental management, 48(3), 1996, pp. 201-214
Citations number
33
Categorie Soggetti
Environmental Sciences
ISSN journal
03014797
Volume
48
Issue
3
Year of publication
1996
Pages
201 - 214
Database
ISI
SICI code
0301-4797(1996)48:3<201:TEOEFT>2.0.ZU;2-D
Abstract
Reports that proximity to electrical transmission or distribution line s may be responsible for increases in human health risks, including le ukemia and brain cancers, have resulted in a sharp rise in the level o f public concern despite decidedly mixed scientific results. An import ant policy question is whether these perceptions of health risks may a lso have resulted in measurable reductions in the value of properties in the vicinity of electrical lines. In this paper, we first discuss s ome of the reasons why power-frequency lines could cause reductions in property values and review the implications of public concerns about EMF exposure for mitigation initiatives. We then summarize findings, f rom recent court cases as well as published literature and reports, re garding the observed magnitude and extent of reduced property values. In a final section, we use these results to provide bounds on the exte nt of likely property value reductions due to concerns about EMF expos ure. (C) 1996 Academic Press Limited