The method rose to high prominence in the USA in the 1980s when government agencies were given the power to sue for damage to environmental resources which they were trustees over . Following '' Ohio v Department of the Interior '' , the types of damages which they were able to recover included non-use or existence values . Existence values are unable to be assessed through market pricing mechanisms , so contingent valuation surveys were suggested to assess them . During this time , the EPA convened an important conference with an aim to recommend guidelines for survey design . The Exxon Valdez oil spill in Prince William Sound was the first case where contingent valuation surveys were used in a quantitative assessment of damages . Use of the technique has spread from there
Exxon Valdez oil spill
Exxon Valdez oil spill
Contingent valuation