Adjustment issues of impacted communities or, are boomtowns bad

The impacts of new energy development on local areas probably range somewhere between overwhelming the community and spurring new opportunities, with the benefits and harm unevenly distributed among the population. Past experience tells us that many towns have survived boomtown adjustments without government subsidies to offset the impacts. A full-cycle assessment of a boomtown to determine the adjustment benefits over time indicates that the resulting community is not always harmed by rapid development. A test of the hypothesis that an energy impact directly induces higher crime rates suggests that, while the mix of crimes changes, the net effect depends on how particular crimes are valued. A statistical analysis of consumer surplus loss shows that secondary impacts, such as wildlife reduction, are greater than direct impacts. 32 references, 3 figures, 4 tables. (DCK)