Air Pollution and Mortality Impacts of Coal Mining: Evidence from Coalmine Accidents in China

Arbeitspapier

We leverage the timing of coalmine accidents to examine the effect of coal mining on air pollution. Safety regulations mandate that coal mining be suspended if a mine experiences an accident with 10 or more fatalities. We use a stacked difference-in-differences approach to compare counties with an accident to those experiencing an accident more than two years earlier or later. We provide evidence that the timing of accidents cannot be predicted. Next, we combine satellite-based air pollution data at the county-day level with the dates of accidents to show that on average, suspending coal mining reduces local air pollution by 8%. Changes in the level of coal consumption do not drive this reduction. We also find significant decreases in respiratory mortality after suspending coal mining with particularly large effects on vulnerable populations.

Object Details

• Language: Englisch

References and Relationships

• Bibliographic citation: Series: GLO Discussion Paper ; No. 1302

Classification and Topics

• Classification: Wirtschaft ; Health: General ; Energy: General ; Air Pollution; Water Pollution; Noise; Hazardous Waste; Solid Waste; Recycling ; Regional Economic Activity: Growth, Development, Environmental Issues, and Changes
• Subject: air pollution ; coal mining ; coalmine accidents ; health impacts

Contributors, Places and Time

• Event: Geistige Schöpfung
• (who): Chu, Yin ; Holladay, J. Scott ; Qiu, Yun ; Tian, Xian-Liang ; Zhou, Maigeng
• Event: Veröffentlichung
• (who): Global Labor Organization (GLO)
• (where): Essen
• (when): 2023

Further information

• Handle: http://hdl.handle.net/10419/273002
• Last update: 10.03.2025, 11:45 AM CET