A Landfill Site Evaluation Model That Includes Public Preferences Regarding Natural Resources And Nearby Communities

Abstract

This paper develops a model that provides an objective framework for evaluating the concerns often cited by members of nearby communities and other state residents when potential sites for solid waste landfills are evaluated. An empirical version of the model is estimated using preference data collected in a paired comparison survey of Rhode Island residents, in which participants identify a preferred site and location for a landfill among two alternatives. The estimated model is used to assign scores to each characteristic describing the natural resources present at a site and the characteristics of the nearby community. The model estimates the proportion of voters who would choose each candidate site in a referendum that includes the complete set of alternatives. This simulated voting mechanism can be used to reduce a long list of technically desirable sites to a shorter list of sites that rank highly according to public preferences regarding natural resources and local community impacts.