In addition, these chemicals corrode bridges and other structures, adding tens of millions to their repair and maintenance costs. It is difficult to extrapolate to a national level from the relatively high aesthetic values which one might suppose to attach to the Vermont countryside. Aggregate highway and automobile maintenance costs are estimated above. This estimate is very uncertain for two reasons. First, some proportion of LUST clean-up costs will ultimately be passed on to future drivers through higher fuel costs.
Oil spills impose as yet unknown costs on the marine ecosystems they pollute.
And even more alarming, roughly six times that amount gets flushed into the oceans from the cleaning of oil tankers and run-off from streets. Another major source of oil pollution is the used crankcase oil that is often drained into the ground by home mechanics. However, the above studies suggest that at least twice that amount is spilled onto surface water alone. We have not estimated a water pollution cost for buses or rail.