Meet with Rutgers Cancer Institute Patient Navigators — September 26
Information, Resources, and Accountability
Latest Updates:
NJDEP Expands Testing Beyond the Aeromarine Site
After months of public pressure, NJDEP expanded its investigation beyond the Aeromarine site, collecting soil-gas and groundwater samples in Keyport and Union Beach neighborhoods. The testing will help determine whether contamination has migrated off-site and whether it could pose a vapor intrusion risk to homes and other buildings.
Read more about DEP-led testing
View the testing map
August 13 Special Council Meeting
On August 13, SESI Consulting Engineers, Excel Environmental Resources, and NJDEP Commissioner Ed Potosnak presented updates on the ongoing investigation into the Aeromarine site. The meeting included preliminary findings from Excel and SESI, a Q&A with council members and the environmental consultants, NJDEP's plans for additional testing, and public comments.
July Community Meeting Unites Residents
More than 150 residents gathered in Sal Liguori's backyard for a community meeting focused on sharing information and resources, and strengthening the community's push for answers and accountability. Residents heard from community advocates, Sierra Club NJ, Waterspirit, Rutgers Cancer Institute, and elected officials including Mayor Araneo, Congressman Pallone, and Assemblyman Scharfenberger. Following the meeting, Congressman Frank Pallone sent a letter to the EPA requesting federal involvement and expanded testing.
Upcoming Community Events:
September 22 - NJDEP Town Hall: NJDEP will review its summer testing results at Keyport High School, 5:30pm
September 26 - Rutgers Cancer Institute Patient Navigator Sessions: Free one-on-one consultations to help residents understand which screenings they may be eligible for, connect with healthcare resources, and navigate next steps for care. Sign up: [Appointment Calendar A] [Appointment Calendar B]
September (date TBD): Town Hall with scientist Scott Smith to review test results from residential properties
The Aeromarine site, an industrial property and former municipal dump along Raritan Bay, has been the subject of environmental concerns for over four decades. The landfill, an unlined toxic waste pit, was never properly closed and has a long history of violations.
Earlier this year, residents began documenting an unusually high number of cancer cases in the surrounding community. More than 400 cancer cases have been identified in an area of roughly 3,000 households, prompting calls for an investigation into whether the area may constitute a cancer cluster.
Recent testing has found that many of the same contaminants identified at the site in 2010 are still present. Independent testing reported by NJ.com found elevated levels of metals in the surrounding community. Separate independent testing found dioxin levels at the landfill and a nearby residence nearly 6.5 times the EPA's trigger threshold.
NJDEP's Investigation
As recently as July 2026, NJDEP stated that its review of existing and new data did not indicate a pathway for human exposure to contamination. That conclusion came despite decades of documented concerns about landfill material entering nearby waterways and before any testing had been conducted in surrounding neighborhoods. Following months of public pressure, NJDEP is now conducting off-site testing to determine whether contamination has migrated into the surrounding area. NJDEP will review its 2026 testing results at their September 22 town hall.
Get involved, contact officials, and support the community