WAILUKU, Hawaii — Maui County is having a hard time finding a new metals recycler for Molokai.

Junked cars and old appliances have been piling up since the county shut down the island's only metals recycler in December for permit violations.

The director of the county's Department of Environmental Management, Cheryl Okuma, says the search has been hampered by the low price for metals on the international recycling market. She also points to the high cost of doing business on Molokai.

Okuma says the county now hopes to find a contractor able to operate the recycling facility on an intermittent basis, conducting regular "collection events" for scrap metal several times a year.

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Information from: The Maui News, http://www.mauinews.com