Frit Industries operated a 30-acre manufacturing facility in Walnut Ridge, Arkansas, producing micronutrients and trace element additives for fertilizer since the early 1950s. The site landed on EPA's National Priorities List (NPL) in September 1983 after a 1979 fire released 81,000 gallons of metal-contaminated water into nearby Coon Creek, killing fish. Unlined and uncovered piles of raw materials and waste spread heavy metals into soil, surface water, and groundwater. Runoff from the site drains into an unnamed stream, then into Coon Creek, a tributary of Village Creek, which feeds the White River.
Cleanup work began in the early 1980s. Between 1982 and 1985, the potentially responsible party removed roughly 100 tons of contaminated surface soil, built a surface water collection and treatment system, and sampled Coon Creek for biological health. A groundwater evaluation and monitoring plan followed under a Resource Conservation and Recovery Act administrative order on consent signed in 1987. The site was deleted from the NPL on October 14, 1997. In 2009, a deed restriction was placed on the property to limit groundwater use. The Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ) has overseen inspections and monitoring since the 1980s, and routine groundwater monitoring and annual inspections continue today.
EPA assessments confirm that human exposure to contaminants is currently under control, meaning no unacceptable exposure pathways exist across the site. Groundwater migration is also under control, with contaminated groundwater stabilized and no unacceptable discharge to surface water. EPA will continue monitoring to keep contaminated groundwater within the original area. However, physical construction of the cleanup is not yet complete, and the site has not met all cleanup goals for current and planned future land uses.
Despite the incomplete construction status, the site supports active economic use. As of December 2024, one business operating on-site employs 20 people and generates roughly $11,987,000 in annual sales revenue. EPA's Superfund Redevelopment Program supports this kind of reuse to return sites to productive community use.
Community members with questions can contact the EPA's Community Involvement Coordinator or Remedial Project Manager. State-level questions can go to ADEQ.
