Work to begin on new
slaughterhouse in Kapolei

By Harold Morse
Star-Bulletin

Palama Meat is ready to build an $8 million meat-packing plant on 4.2 acres at Kapolei Business Park.

The company announced yesterday it has signed a lease with Campbell Estate for the land. The 80,000-square-foot plant will be nearly three times larger than Palama Meat's facility near the airport. The new plant will go in across from Kapolei Fire Station on Lauwiliwili Street.

The plant will process raw and cooked meats and home replacement meals (take-home ready-to-serve meals).

Construction is expected to begin late this year with completion by the end of next year. Palama Meat is 47 years old and employs 100 people. The company expects to create 200 new jobs at the new plant over five years.

Animal Rights Hawaii filed suit against the plant Aug. 9, and the suit was dismissed. It had asked that the state require an environmental impact statement for the proposed slaughterhouse.

The state Department of Agriculture earlier had said that according to its findings the plant would have no significant effect on the environment.

But the dismissal has been appealed to the state Supreme Court.

Cathy Goeggel, research and investigation director, Animal Rights Hawaii, said the proposed slaughterhouse meat-processing plant "will put the marine environment in severe danger."

The plant is the 13th project at Kapolei that will be under way or completed during 1999.

Other projects include Big Kmart, the Kapolei Civic Center Building, Kapolei High School, Hawaiian Waters Adventure Park, Kapolei Middle School, Kapolei Regional Police Station and Kapolei Medical Park.

"This has certainly been a banner year for Kapolei," said Donna Goth, Campbell Estate's director for Hawaii Properties. "This is remarkable in the context of our economy. It is important to maintain the momentum of developing this new city because new projects mean jobs."