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. 2011 May;101(3):435-441.
doi: 10.1257/aer.101.3.435.

SUPERFUND CLEANUPS AND INFANT HEALTH

Janet Currie  1 , Michael Greenstone  1 , Enrico Moretti  1
Affiliations

SUPERFUND CLEANUPS AND INFANT HEALTH

Janet Currie et al. Am Econ Rev. 2011 May.

Abstract

We are the first to examine the effect of Superfund cleanups on infant health rather than focusing on proximity to a site. We study singleton births to mothers residing within 5km of a Superfund site between 1989-2003 in five large states. Our "difference in differences" approach compares birth outcomes before and after a site clean-up for mothers who live within 2,000 meters of the site and those who live between 2,000- 5,000 meters of a site. We find that proximity to a Superfund site before cleanup is associated with a 20 to 25% increase in the risk of congenital anomalies.

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