ENVIRONMENT WATCH : Good News for Mickey

It’s encouraging that the $3-billion expansion in Anaheim proposed by the Walt Disney Co. has received favorable early notice from the staff of the Southern California Assn. of Governments.

Balancing growth and environmental impact is a major challenge for any major development in Southern California. It’s no less so for a big-business venture devoted to the serious pursuit of fun and entertainment, as the proposal to expand Disneyland is.

Air quality and traffic concerns have been at center stage as this enormous project moves through the levels of approval. It’s still early in the review process, but SCAG’s finding that Disney did its homework will put the burden of proof on any opponents who might try to fault the project on environmental grounds.

An urban renewal project--which is what this also is--marks a departure for Disney. The company previously has built its magic kingdoms where there wasn’t much but orange groves or open space. The challenge in today’s urbanized Anaheim is to sandwich in a second theme park, three new hotels and more without overtaxing the area’s infrastructure.

The just-issued SCAG memo on the draft environmental impact report has valuable recommendations that merit attention, including the call for cooperation with other jurisdictions. Garden Grove, for example, worries about the effect of the development. However, the favorable early evaluation signals that an important regional project is being planned with care.