North Building reconstruction "was as close to 100 percent retrieval as can be practically done"

The county-owned North Building at Wellington Place was torn down last month.  But that doesn't mean the material went to the landfill.

Winneshiek County Recycling Department Manager Terry Buenzow says "very little of the material escaped us."  The county recycled over 16 tons of ferrous scrap, as well as some copper wire, copper pipe, brass and aluminum.  The Winneshiek County Recycling Department also recycled paper and cardboard from the building, as well as textiles and fabrics.

Buenzow says when crews got into the building, they realized it was in "far, far, far worse shape" than originally thought.  The building had been built in the 1860's.

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