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.
What to Expect During Cleanup Work
- Potential for increased traffic around the cleanup area.
- Noise from active removal work during normal work hours.
- Temporary fencing around work site.
- Cleanup crew members wearing personal protective equipment.
Planned Cleanup Work Activities
During the cleanup, EPA will excavate, treat and transport lead-contaminated soil off-site for proper disposal. EPA will take proactive measures to ensure contamination does not leave the site and impact the surrounding neighborhood. These measures will include wetting soil to minimize dust during excavation and conducting air monitoring of the excavation and surrounding residential areas. EPA will also install fencing around the site to help prevent unauthorized access during cleanup activities.
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.
