Acid Rain and Transported Air Pollutants: Implications for Public Policy Page: 82
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82 .Acid Rain and Transported Air Pollutants: Implications for Public Policy
rens, as well as in 16 lakes near Halifax, Nova
Scotia, 22 lakes in the LaCloche Mountains, On
tario, and Clear Lake, Ontario. Changes in water
chemistry over time have also been reported for 38
North Carolina streams, 6 Nova Scotia rivers, and
314 surface waters in Pennsylvania; however, firm
conclusions cannot be drawn from these studies.
In the Adirondack Mountains, the only U.S. lo
cation in which scientists have documented fish
population declines, the New York State Depart
ment of Environmental Conservation has reported
the disappearance of fish populations in about 180
lakes. Researchers have found correlations between
acidity levels and survival of fish in Adirondack
lakes and streams. Four other areas are known to
have experienced losses of fish populations
associated with surface water acidification: 1 ) the
LaCloche Mountain region of Ontario, 2) Nova
Scotia, 3) Southern Norway, and 4) Southern
Sweden.
Acid deposition may not be the sole cause of the
changes discussed above. Other man induced
stresses and natural processes can also alter surface
water chemistry. However, the largest numbers of
acidified and extremely sensitive lakes and streams
are located in regions currently receiving the highest
levels of acid deposition.
Though the economic value of these particular
sensitive resources cannot yet be estimated, the Fish
and Wildlife Service has estimated that about 21
million people spent $6.3 billion on all recreational
freshwater fishing activities in the Eastern United
States during 1980. Figure 25 illustrates how these
expenditures vary by State, displaying the impor
tance of recreational fishing to each State's economy
relative to the 3 1 State regional average.
'R A. Linthurst, J P. Bak r, and A. M Barluska," F; Ifcctso
Acidt Deposition A Brit Review, " Proxrcdilng oftheAPCA Spei'l-
ty (Confernce on Atmos)hcric lDeposition, Air Pollution Control Asso-
( iat io, Novcmber 1982, r-v ing I ntcrnat ional Electric Research
Ex hangec EirT ts of SO) an'i irs nt arias on Helith and Ec oiogy,-
(Centrral Electricity Generating Board, Leatherhlad, England; National
Research Council of Canada, Acidification in the Canadian Aquatic
Em itronmen Scien ti Criteria for Assessing the Efects of Acidic
positionn on Aquatic Ecosystcms, Associated Committee on Scien-
tific Criteria for Environmental Quality, National Research Council
of Canada, NRCC No. 18475, 1981 ; and .J Baker,' 'Effects on Aquatic
Biology, Drial Critical Assessmt ent llo umant The AcidicDeposi
tiin Phenomenon and itsEl tits, Chapter E-5, 5.6 Fishes (October
1982)Because there are few data to determine wheth
er lakes and streams sensitive to acid deposition are
those preferred for recreational fishing, OTA can
not estimate potential regional economic losses
resulting from the elimination of fish populations.
One local scale study, however, has estimated losses
to New York resident anglers of approximately $1.7
(1982 dollars) million annually from lost fishing op
portunities in about 200 acidified Adirondack lakes
and ponds. 2Potential losses to individuals whose
livelihoods depend on the recreational fishing in
dustry were not estimated. On a regional scale, the
States at greatest economic risk are those with: 1)
the greatest numbers of sensitive lakes, 2) the
highest levels of acid deposition, and 3) the highest
relative expenditures for recreational fishing.
Among these are the New England States of Maine,
Vermont, and New Hampshire; the Appalachian
region of West Virginia and eastern Kentucky; and
parts of the Midwestern States of Wisconsin and
Minnesota.
Terrestrial Ecosystems
Figure 26 shows major agricultural production
areas for two major crops, corn and soybeans.
Figure 27 presents the location of forests.
Figure 28 illustrates the crop yield gains that
might occur if ozone concentrations were lowered
to estimated natural background levels. The regions
of highest crop production-an area slightly north
of the peak ozone concentrations-show the greatest
improvement. Here, in the corn and soybean belt
of the Midwest, even moderate levels of ozone can
cause substantial crop damage. For Iowa, Indiana,
and Illinois, reducing ozone concentrations to
background levels might cause both soybean and
corn yields to increase by about 20 to 40 million
bushels per year in each State. (See app. B for
potential productivity gains in wheat and peanuts
with decreased ozone concentrations. )
Comparing figures 15 (patterns of acidity) and 26
(current corn and soybean yields) indicates that
elevated levels of acid deposition occur within
several major crop producing States, including
Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio. Reductions in both soy
4F. C. Mcnz and I K. Mullen, "Ac edification Impact on Fish-
cries: Substitution and the Valuation of Re re national Resources, Eno-
nonB Pcrspc ties on Acid Deposition, 'i11. Cro . (cd) (Ann Ar
bo: Butter worth Press, 1984).
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United States. Congress. Office of Technology Assessment. Acid Rain and Transported Air Pollutants: Implications for Public Policy, report, May 1984; [Washington D.C.]. (https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc39530/m1/87/: accessed March 28, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, UNT Digital Library, https://digital.library.unt.edu; crediting UNT Libraries Government Documents Department.