Impact Attenuation in Nonconflict Situations: The Price Effects of a Nuisance Land-Use

In this paper the effect an inactive landfill site had on the sales price of surrounding houses is described. The spatial extent of the damage done by a nuisance site that was present at the time the houses were built is considered. Evidence is provided of the limited extent of the damage created by a nuisance land-use that did not generate negative publicity and conflict. Indirectly, the findings show that impacts that do not evoke rancor or present possible hazards are limited to a relatively small and easily definable zone. It should not, therefore, be difficult to implement compensation plans for the impacts of nuisance producing land-use sites. The implementation of such plans should help to ensure that land-use conflicts do not spread the cost of the nuisance beyond the area they affect directly.