WAHPETON, N.D. (AP) - North Dakota State College of Science has removed its smokestack as part of a wider project that included demolition within its central heating plant.
The school reaffirmed its commitment to converting from coal heat to natural gas on Aug. 9, the Wahpeton Daily News reported .
Executive Director of Facilities Management Dallas Fossum said the cost of the project is about $700,000.
“We’ve already completed a significant portion of demolition in the inside,” Fossum said.
Fossum said space within the central heating plant will be used as a warehouse.
“Removing the smokestack is a form of progress that everyone can see on the outside. I bet they’re 60-70 percent complete on the inside,” he said.
Fossum said the school is currently working to make its natural gas machinery more efficient.
The school’s smokestack was built in 1979. In January 2016, the school stopped using the smokestack as a primary heating source.
Staff and local residents gathered to witness the removal of the 75-foot long, 38,000-pound smokestack.
“Now that this smokestack is no longer being used, we want to keep it from becoming an eyesore on our campus,” Fossum said.
North Dakota State College of Science classes are scheduled to begin Aug. 21.
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Information from: Wahpeton Daily News, https://www.wahpetondailynews.com
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