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By LOU HATTER
BiHUhworfc New* SUIT Writer
Statements by Walt Disney Co. executives apparently made the best case for a full environmental impact review of proposed improvements to Interstate 66, a federal official said this week.
Virginia transportation officials met with representatives of the Federal Highway Administration Monday in the FHA’s Richmond office to “go over the details and the logic behind the decision,” according to Mark Tumlin, the FHA’s division administrator in Richmond.
Tumlin said the complete environmental review is necessary because the next lower level study, called an environmental assessment, requires a finding of no significant impacts.
“The general feeling was that with all the issues involved here,” Tumlin said, “that a high-level document was appropriate. There’s a feeling there anil be some significant issues involved — that’s not to say they are insurmountable — but significant.”
The full environmental review means the transportation improvements, and their impact, will be scrutinized by a variety of federal agencies, interest groups and the public. The process, including public hearings, could take from six months to more than one year.
The FHA became involved, Tumlin explained, because federal approval is needed for the new interchange planned to serve the Disney’s America theme park. “That is considered a major federal action by all of our rules, and we have to address the consequences of that action.”
Since Virginia is financing the improvements, he added, if the 1-66 upgrade had been limited to additional lanes the FHA approval would not have been required.
When an access point is added, however, “you add a new funnel and you’ve already got a congested situa
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