The Economic costs of E. coli Beach Closings
Sharyl Rabinovici, Richard Bernknopf, Don L. Coursey, and Richard Whitman

A summer of frequent beach closings due to E. coli contamination along the Lake Michigan shoreline raises numerous health concerns for both swimmers and the ecosystem. Less discussed, however, is the economic cost of closing beaches. If the health hazards are serious, beach closings are warranted, regardless of the costs. However, if the hazard is overstated, are the costs incurred warranted? Sharyl Rabinovici, Don Coursey, and coauthors, in their paper, “The Economic and Health Risk Trade-Offs of Swim Closures at a Lake Michigan Beach” (Environmental Sciences and Technology, forthcoming), compare the costs of closing the beaches against the health risk and find that, given the susceptibility of the E. coli test to error, the low risk of contracting E. coli from swimming, and the high economic costs of beach closings, it might be better from a purely economic standpoint to leave the beaches open. Read more >>