Cleanup work at the Friction Materials Site
U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency has begun a cleanup of lead-contaminated soil at the former Friction
Materials manufacturing facility in Huntington, Indiana. Work is expected to last through December, 2026.
During the cleanup, EPA
will:
- Put a fence up at the site.
- Excavate lead-contaminated soil.
- Treat soil on-site and transport
off-site for proper disposal.
- Monitor air quality for worker
and public safety.
- Wet work areas to control dust.
- Inspect equipment and trucks
leaving the work area to minimize contamination leaving the site.
Workers will follow
strict rules to keep nearby roads and properties free from contaminated soil
and debris.
Background
The Friction Materials site
is located at 1849 Sabine Street in the City of Huntington, Huntington County,
Indiana. The site contains the remnants of what was once a large automotive
parts manufacturing facility. Manufacturing operations at the site began in the
early 1900s and continued for nearly a century. Last owner, Friction Materials,
Inc. used the site to manufacture automotive break parts until ceasing all
operations and declaring bankruptcy in 2000. The site sat vacant for over a
decade before the City of Huntington acquired the property via tax lien in
2014. Numerous site assessments and cleanup actions have been taken at the site, including two EPA-led time-critical removal actions in 2017 and 2023.
The City of Huntington is working with the Indiana Brownfields Program
(IBP) to redevelop the property. In 2025, the IBP conducted a further site
investigation and concluded lead contamination is present in surface soils
throughout the site. The IBP referred this contamination to EPA for further
assessment and removal.
For additional information, visit
the Pollution/Situation Report (Pol/Sitreps) section.
