The wholesale price of milk (px) is $1/gallon, and the wage (pL) is $12/hour. Suppose that farms cannot adapt their individual production practices: they either remain in business if they are profitable, or they have to shut down if they are not. a) Suppose that farms can pollute as much as they want. Which farms are profitable? Assuming that unprofitable firms shut down, calculate Woodstock's resulting total milk output, total company profits, and total runoff. b) Suppose the marginal extemai cost of each gallon of runoff (pz) is $8. What is the net social benefit? On balance, does society benefit from che profitable farms remaining in business? c) Suppose the Connecticut EPA conducts field measurements of manure runoff and fines each farm at the level of the external cost it produces. Wwhich farms remain in business? What are total milk output, total company profits, and total runoff? What about the net social benefit? d) Suppose that instead of a fine, the EPA imposes a uniform performance standard which is expressed as a maximum runoff intensity (z / x). To enforce the standard, farms which pollute above the intensity limit are forced to shut down. At what range of values (max / min) would the standard have to be set to result in a similar net social benefit as the fine? How is the outcome different from the policy in c)?

ENGR.ECONOMIC ANALYSIS
14th Edition
ISBN:9780190931919
Author:NEWNAN
Publisher:NEWNAN
Chapter1: Making Economics Decisions
Section: Chapter Questions
Problem 1QTC
icon
Related questions
Question
Private enterprises often oppose environmental regulation because it raises cost of operation,
reducing profits. Suppose that Belville, KS has ten dairy farms whose manure runoff pollutes the
River. The table below gives information about the operation of each farm, identified
X
A
270
24
2
580
44
6.
C
760
49
12
650
60
15
E
270
12
9.
F
380
15
18
200
6.
13
H.
260
7
25
250
6.
35
1020
21
204
where
daily milk output in gallons
L daily demand for labor (in worker hours)
average daily quantity of manure leaching into the river (in gallons)
The wholesale price of milk (px) is $1/gallon, and the wage (pL) is $12/hour. Suppose that
farms cannot adapt their individual production practices: they either remain in business if they
are profitable, or they have to shut down if they are not.
a) Suppose that farms can pollute as much as they want. Which farms are profitable? Assuming
that unprofitable firms shut down, calculate Belville's resulting total milk output, total
company profits, and total runoff.
Transcribed Image Text:Private enterprises often oppose environmental regulation because it raises cost of operation, reducing profits. Suppose that Belville, KS has ten dairy farms whose manure runoff pollutes the River. The table below gives information about the operation of each farm, identified X A 270 24 2 580 44 6. C 760 49 12 650 60 15 E 270 12 9. F 380 15 18 200 6. 13 H. 260 7 25 250 6. 35 1020 21 204 where daily milk output in gallons L daily demand for labor (in worker hours) average daily quantity of manure leaching into the river (in gallons) The wholesale price of milk (px) is $1/gallon, and the wage (pL) is $12/hour. Suppose that farms cannot adapt their individual production practices: they either remain in business if they are profitable, or they have to shut down if they are not. a) Suppose that farms can pollute as much as they want. Which farms are profitable? Assuming that unprofitable firms shut down, calculate Belville's resulting total milk output, total company profits, and total runoff.
The wholesale price of milk (px) is $1/gallon, and the wage (pL) is $12/hour. Suppose that farms cannot
adapt their individual production practices: they either remain in business if they are profitable, or they
have to shut down if they are not.
a) Suppose that farms can pollute as much as they want. Which farms are profitable? Assuming that
unprofitable firms shut down, calculate Woodstock's resulting total milk output, total company
profits, and total runoff.
b) Suppose the marginal externai Cost of each gallon of runoff (Pz) is $8. What is the net social benefit?
On balance, does society benefit from che profitable farms remaining in business?
c) Suppose the Connecticut EPA conducts field measurements of manure runoff and fines each farm at
the level of the external cost it produces. Which farms remain in business? What are total milk
output, total company profits, and total runoff? What about the net social benefit?
d) Suppose that instead of a fine, the EPA imposes a uniform performance standard which is expressed
as a maximum runoff intensity (z / x). To enforce the standard, farms which pollute above the
intensity limit are forced to shut down. At what range of values (max / min) would the standard
have to be set to result in a similar net social benefit as the fine? How is the outcome different from
the policy in c)?
Transcribed Image Text:The wholesale price of milk (px) is $1/gallon, and the wage (pL) is $12/hour. Suppose that farms cannot adapt their individual production practices: they either remain in business if they are profitable, or they have to shut down if they are not. a) Suppose that farms can pollute as much as they want. Which farms are profitable? Assuming that unprofitable firms shut down, calculate Woodstock's resulting total milk output, total company profits, and total runoff. b) Suppose the marginal externai Cost of each gallon of runoff (Pz) is $8. What is the net social benefit? On balance, does society benefit from che profitable farms remaining in business? c) Suppose the Connecticut EPA conducts field measurements of manure runoff and fines each farm at the level of the external cost it produces. Which farms remain in business? What are total milk output, total company profits, and total runoff? What about the net social benefit? d) Suppose that instead of a fine, the EPA imposes a uniform performance standard which is expressed as a maximum runoff intensity (z / x). To enforce the standard, farms which pollute above the intensity limit are forced to shut down. At what range of values (max / min) would the standard have to be set to result in a similar net social benefit as the fine? How is the outcome different from the policy in c)?
Expert Solution
trending now

Trending now

This is a popular solution!

steps

Step by step

Solved in 3 steps with 3 images

Blurred answer
Knowledge Booster
Equilibrium Point
Learn more about
Need a deep-dive on the concept behind this application? Look no further. Learn more about this topic, economics and related others by exploring similar questions and additional content below.
Similar questions
Recommended textbooks for you
ENGR.ECONOMIC ANALYSIS
ENGR.ECONOMIC ANALYSIS
Economics
ISBN:
9780190931919
Author:
NEWNAN
Publisher:
Oxford University Press
Principles of Economics (12th Edition)
Principles of Economics (12th Edition)
Economics
ISBN:
9780134078779
Author:
Karl E. Case, Ray C. Fair, Sharon E. Oster
Publisher:
PEARSON
Engineering Economy (17th Edition)
Engineering Economy (17th Edition)
Economics
ISBN:
9780134870069
Author:
William G. Sullivan, Elin M. Wicks, C. Patrick Koelling
Publisher:
PEARSON
Principles of Economics (MindTap Course List)
Principles of Economics (MindTap Course List)
Economics
ISBN:
9781305585126
Author:
N. Gregory Mankiw
Publisher:
Cengage Learning
Managerial Economics: A Problem Solving Approach
Managerial Economics: A Problem Solving Approach
Economics
ISBN:
9781337106665
Author:
Luke M. Froeb, Brian T. McCann, Michael R. Ward, Mike Shor
Publisher:
Cengage Learning
Managerial Economics & Business Strategy (Mcgraw-…
Managerial Economics & Business Strategy (Mcgraw-…
Economics
ISBN:
9781259290619
Author:
Michael Baye, Jeff Prince
Publisher:
McGraw-Hill Education