Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: FRIDAY, July 8, 1994 TAG: 9407080082
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: B4 EDITION: STATE
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: HAYMARKET LENGTH: Medium
Disney said it will employ many of the methods developed to meet tough air quality standards in Southern California, home of the entertainment company's first theme park, Disneyland.
Northern Virginia is under federal order to reduce air pollution. Disney hopes to open Disney's America near Haymarket in 1998, when federal standards for the area will be tougher than they are now.
``The Disney's America air quality program is a natural extension of the Walt Disney Co.'s longstanding commitment to environmental stewardship,'' said Disney's America Director of Development Dana Nottingham.
Disney plans a clean vehicle program, including a ban on smog-producing diesel vehicles in its operating fleet. Disney's America will use vehicles powered by alternative fuels such as natural gas and electricity within the park boundaries, Nottingham said.
Electricity will power park attractions, thus avoiding smog associated with diesel engines, Disney said.
The company plans to use what it calls zero-emission vehicles, energy-efficient building designs and computer-controlled air conditioning and lighting.
The $650 million park is to feature an American history theme.
The Disney project is opposed by some local residents and historians who say it would bring undesirable development and heavy traffic to a largely unspoiled and historically significant region.
``The real air quality issue relating to the Disney development near Haymarket is auto emissions, not golf carts,'' said Sandy Hillyer, spokesman for Citizens Against Gridlock, one of the Disney opponents.
Disney would add as many as 300,000 vehicle trips daily to the roads around the park, Hillyer said. Disney calculates its park would generate about 77,000 vehicle trips.
by CNB