According to a new study by the published in Frontiers in Marine Science, the Boston Harbor cleanup was economically justifiable. In the study, Evaluating the Boston Harbor Cleanup: An Ecosystem Valuation Approach (PDF) the analysis of Boston Harbor “suggests the capitalized value of restored ecosystem services now stands at between $30 and $100 billion -- far outweighing the $5 billion cleanup cost.”
Related:
Study: "Evaluating the Boston Harbor Cleanup: An Ecosystem Valuation Approach" (PDF)