Scrap Yard Fire - Page 2

More Trouble in Paradise
A lawsuit was filed about a week ago by Island Recycling's main competitor Schnitzer for Department of Health violations. Apparently Schnitzer had tested the soil around Island Recycling and found lead and mercury. Schnitzer is also suing the State Department of Health for allowing the violations to go unenforced (Island Recycling contracts with O'ahu's HPOWER waste-to-energy plant to sell the scrap metal not burned in the plant). Island Recycling has gotten into trouble before because of the ash covered metal that they received from HPOWER before. The owner says that this is just a strategy by Schnitzer to hurt the company and that the company's tests of soil are irrelevant due to the fire last month (water from the fire fighting washed the contaminents off the property into the nearby gulch, which was tested). The two companies have been in competition since 2005 when Schnitzer took over the previous company. But it looks like things are getting nasty between the two.

I'm not sure what it was back then, but Island has since moved to Campbell Industrial Park and Schnitzer is where Hawaii Metal Recycling was in Kapolei.

I had mentioned Island Recycling competitor Schnitzer awhile back and about a week ago THEIR plant went up in flames.



Another car pile (50x40x50) caught fire at THIS yard (which is down the road more or less from Island Recycling) took about 35 firefighters through the night to put this one out. In addition, because prices are so low, my regular yard has closed one of its satellite locations.

I never thought I'd say this but China's economy better rebound quick, the scrap industry here depends on it. And if prices don't rise, my hiatus may become indefinite.