Voice of Stephanie Salazar

$4.15 million in improvements to the Paauilo Slaughterhouse got the initial OK from the Hawaii County Council’s Finance Committee on Tuesday.

The state funds will be a big plus to agriculture on the Hamakua Coast, says the district’s councilman Dominic Yagong.

The rendering plant will also process the animal waste into useful by-products, according to the county. The most recent practice of dumping the animal waste into the ground is no longer acceptable, said county officials.

The ordinance now moves on to the full council.