Hawai‘i County Awarded Grant to Aid in Eruption Recovery

Sen. Brian Schatz. Wikimedia image.

Hawai‘i County is set to receive $2.25 in new federal funding to help Hilo recover from the 2018 Kīlauea eruption and improve resiliency for future natural disasters.

Monies come from a grant from the Economic Adjustment Assistance program, administered by the Economic Development Administration at the U.S. Department of Commerce.

“This grant will help create a centralized waste treatment system that’s safer for Hilo families and improves the resiliency of the community,” said Sen. Brian Schatz, a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee. “As we recover from the 2018 natural disasters, we’ll keep fighting for more federal funding at every opportunity so we can rebuild stronger than before.”

By funding the creation of a new, centralized system — instead of repairing the previous cesspool system, Schatz said, these funds will help the community recover in a cleaner and safer way.