The Role of Knowledge in Assessing Nonuse Values for Site-Specific §316(b) Determinations

USEPA conducted a stated preference survey to estimate the total value that would accrue to the public as a result of impingement and entrainment (I&E) reductions.  Nonuse values are included in this total value.  They are also a category of evaluation in the rule’s Benefit Valuation Study (§122.21(r)(11).  EPA’s discussion on extrapolation suggests that the results from the survey could be applied to the unsurveyed population.  EPA’s survey instrument contains an information treatment that explains I&E.  Correctly extrapolating the survey results to the general population requires that the general population have the same level of knowledge about I&E, without having received the information treatment, as the survey respondents have with receiving the information treatment. 

Awareness of I&E impacts may potentially be low among the general public, suggesting that the survey’s results cannot be directly extrapolated to the majority of U.S. residents.  However, no efforts have been undertaken to identify who is aware of I&E.  This presentation presents the results of the 2012 Environmental Impacts Awareness survey which evaluates the aware population.  The survey results indicate that approximately 10 percent of the population has knowledge of aquatic impacts from steam electric plants.  However, no respondents specifically mentioned impingement and entrainment.