[font=Verdana]Between 80 and 90 percent of the materials from Tencza Terrace will be recycled, according to Michael Norton, a project manager with the Army Corps of Engineers in [/font][font=Verdana]Huntsville[/font][font=Verdana], [/font][font=Verdana]Ala.[/font][font=Verdana] The project will exceed the 2004 Army regulation that 50 percent of materials from demolitions be recycled. [/font]

[font=Verdana]"This is big. This is probably the best one we've ever been able to do because we're going to be able to crush the main building," said Bhate Associates Project Manager Greg Taylor. Bhate Associates is the firm contracted for the $1.6 million demolition of the apartment complex. [/font]

[font=Verdana]After the 12-story Tencza Terrace is razed in early June, the concrete and brick rubble won't be shipped to a landfill, but used as fill to raise the elevation of the parking lots on the west side of the building. A "crusher," a machine the size of a large truck, will be brought into break the rubble into small pieces. The goal is to level the area with [/font][font=Verdana]Carpenter Road[/font][font=Verdana]. [/font]

[font=Verdana]"We're happy to recycle, simply because it is the right thing to do for the environment," said John Russo, the director of [/font][font=Verdana]Fort[/font][font=Verdana] [/font][font=Verdana]Myer[/font][font=Verdana]'s Department of Public Works. [/font]

[font=Verdana]For Russo it is a win-win situation. Besides helping Mother Nature, there's a business incentive -- recycling can save money. It cuts down on the costs of transporting materials to a landfill, and paying to dump the materials in the landfill. [/font]

[font=Verdana]Something good is coming from the building that was notorious for being an undesirable place to live. [/font]

[font=Verdana]"This demolition effort is an excellent example of the Fort Myer Military Community's outstanding partnership with the Army Corps of Engineers as well as [/font][font=Verdana]Arlington[/font][font=Verdana] [/font][font=Verdana]County[/font][font=Verdana]," said Garrison Commander Col. Thomas A. Allmon. "Phase one of the demolition project has been a seamless endeavor. We are working in close coordination with our partners to ensure all aspects of phase two of this project are synchronized. [/font]

[font=Verdana]Last fall the installation's housing division removed dishwashers, stoves, and refrigerators and gave them to [/font][font=Verdana]Fort[/font][font=Verdana] [/font][font=Verdana]Belvoir[/font][font=Verdana]. In exchange Belvoir provided E1s through E5s from Tencza Terrace with brand new housing. [/font]

[font=Verdana]"It's very uncommon for an E1 to get brand new housing," said the Housing Division manager, Gay van Brero. [/font]

[font=Verdana]The playground equipment outside the building was also sent to [/font][font=Verdana]Fort[/font][font=Verdana] [/font][font=Verdana]Belvoir[/font][font=Verdana]. Transporting the playground equipment could have cost the installation $35,000 to $40,000. Instead, the $100,000 equipment was removed at no cost, and now entertains children on [/font][font=Verdana]Fort[/font][font=Verdana] [/font][font=Verdana]Belvoir[/font][font=Verdana]. [/font]

[font=Verdana]Bhate Associates began their on-site work the first week of February. [/font]

[font=Verdana]"When we got here we wanted to try to salvage everything we could and recycle the material," said [/font][font=Verdana]Taylor[/font][font=Verdana]. [/font]

[font=Verdana]They offered items to Habitat for Humanity and the Jimmy Carter Foundation. [/font]

[font=Verdana]He estimates that 95 of the copper wires, 95 percent of the steel piping and 80 percent of the medal studs and screws are being recycled. Even the light posts in the parking lot are being recycled as aluminum. [/font]

[font=Verdana]A whopping 60,000 pounds of sheetrock are being recycled. The sheet rock is ground up and used as a fertilizer. Tom Peck, a project manager with Bhate Associates took the idea from a demolition guide developed for [/font][font=Verdana]Fort[/font][font=Verdana] [/font][font=Verdana]Campbell[/font][font=Verdana]. [/font]

[font=Verdana]As many trees as possible are being saved. [/font]

[font=Verdana]"I love trees and I know how hard it is to grow a tree," said Taylor, who grew up on the treeless prairie of [/font][font=Verdana]Kansas City[/font][font=Verdana], [/font][font=Verdana]Mo.[/font][font=Verdana] [/font]

[font=Verdana]Ninety percent of those that can't be saved will be recycled into mulch. The rest will be given as firewood to needy families. [/font]

[font=Verdana]"These particular firms are really committed to recycling," said Norton. "A lot of demolition projects just bring in backhoes in or a claw, tear it down, and dump it in a landfill." [/font]

[font=Verdana]"The project is a true environmental success story for our Army and the open communication with our partners is the key to that success," said Allmon [/font]