Air Polluters Exploit Wind Patterns in Federal States

federalism united states American Politics @AJPS 5 R files 11 dataset Dataverse

Federal systems incentivize strategic polluter placement. US data reveals major facilities are disproportionately located downwind of state borders, a pattern especially strong for toxic emitters.

Downwind Advantage?

Major air polluters favored locations with favorable wind directions
Pattern robust across diverse models and measurement approaches
Toxic emissions show particularly pronounced effects

This finding underscores how policy environments can shape environmental injustice.

Article card for article: Gone with the Wind: Federalism and the Strategic Location of Air Polluters

Gone with the Wind: Federalism and the Strategic Location of Air Polluters was authored by James E. Monogan III, David M. Konisky and Neal D. Woods. It was published by Wiley in AJPS in 2017.