State to test water near former Keyport Sanitary Landfill amid cancer concerns
Community outcry began after a local resident created a map identifying more than two dozen nearby homes where occupants have reportedly been diagnosed with cancer.
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State officials will begin testing water near the inactive Keyport Sanitary Landfill following growing concerns from residents about a possible cancer cluster in the area.
Community outcry began after a local resident created a map identifying more than two dozen nearby homes where occupants have reportedly been diagnosed with cancer. Residents believe their health concerns may be linked to the former landfill located at the Aeromarine Industrial Park.
The investigation will be conducted by the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) and the Department of Health, starting with an assessment of whether contamination from the Aeromarine Landfill has migrated off‑site.
The site was last tested in 2010, when the DEP found toxins leaking from the former landfill into the Raritan Bay. Residents and local officials say the landfill was never fully capped or remediated.
Rep. Frank Pallone (D–6th District) told News 12 that the property owner is facing nearly $900,000 in fines from the DEP.
“The company that owns the property—the landfill—they haven’t paid the fine. They haven’t cleaned up anything. They haven’t done anything,” Pallone said.
On April 23, the NJDEP issued a permit allowing environmental testing as part of a potential redevelopment sale. The permit applies to the current owner, Bay Ridge Realty, as well as SESI Consulting Engineers, which is conducting testing on behalf of prospective buyer Pacer Group Holdings, LLC.
While SESI will perform its own sampling to evaluate site conditions, the NJDEP will also collect independent samples. Under the permit, SESI has six months to complete its testing.
Officials emphasized that Keyport residents are served by the Keyport Water Department, which currently meets all drinking water standards. Public drinking water wells supplying the borough are not located near the landfill. Authorities say there is currently no confirmed link between the reported cancer cases and the former landfill.
Residents met on Tuesday to search for answers on the possible cancer cluster.
“What drives me is my son—my son’s memory,” said resident and organizer Sal Liguori, who lost his son Anthony to cancer in 2022. “I feel that he is so strong and spiritual that he’s reaching down and talking to me and saying, ‘Dad, I need your help, and I know you’re the guy.’”
