New Environmental Tests Find Cancer-Causing Chemicals Still Present at New Jersey Landfill as Community Awaits Final Health Review

Residents living near the long-closed Aeromarine landfill in Keyport, New Jersey, are getting long-awaited updates about the environmental conditions beneath the site. Newly released testing shows that several hazardous chemicals, including known cancer-causing substances, are still present in groundwater around the former landfill, even though some contamination levels have declined since the last major investigation conducted more than a decade ago.

The findings have renewed public concern in a community where hundreds of families have reported cancer cases over the years. While experts stress that the latest environmental testing does not prove the landfill is responsible for illnesses in the area, many residents continue to push for more comprehensive investigations and a permanent cleanup of the property.

The recently completed environmental assessment examined groundwater, landfill gas, and sections of the industrial property surrounding the 62-acre site. According to the report, contaminants such as benzene and vinyl chloride and PFAS compounds—often called “forever chemicals”—along with several heavy metals, including arsenic, lead, cobalt, iron, manganese, and aluminium, remain present in groundwater samples.

Although concentrations of some pollutants, particularly benzene, have decreased compared to testing completed in 2010, multiple samples still exceeded New Jersey’s groundwater quality standards. Environmental health experts say that any amount of certain cancer-causing chemicals above regulatory limits remains a concern, regardless of whether contamination has fallen over time.

Researchers reviewing the findings noted that the results should not be interpreted as an immediate conclusion about health risks to nearby residents. Instead, they describe the report as an important early step in understanding the site’s current environmental condition.

Scientists emphasised that additional studies are still needed to determine whether contaminants from the landfill have created any pathway through which nearby communities could be exposed. Such pathways may include groundwater movement, soil migration, or airborne pollutants under certain environmental conditions.

Public concern surrounding the Aeromarine landfill intensified earlier this year after numerous local families reported cancer diagnoses within neighbourhoods surrounding the property. More than 400 residents from Keyport and neighbouring Union Beach have shared cancer cases affecting themselves or their relatives, prompting calls for further investigation into whether the illnesses could be connected to the former landfill.

An earlier independent disease analysis suggested that residents living closest to the site experienced higher cancer rates than other parts of Monmouth County. However, health officials have repeatedly stated that additional scientific evaluation is required before any direct connection between the landfill and reported cancer cases can be established.

Environmental testing carried out during the latest investigation included groundwater sampling from multiple monitoring wells positioned across the property. The analysis detected benzene above state limits in several wells, while vinyl chloride also exceeded regulatory standards in multiple locations. In some monitoring wells, both contaminants were found above acceptable levels.

The report also confirmed elevated concentrations of several metals across every sampled groundwater well. Meanwhile, one contaminant detected during previous investigations—polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), which have long been banned in the United States—was not identified in the newest groundwater samples.

Testing also evaluated landfill gas beneath portions of the property. Unlike previous investigations that detected elevated methane levels in certain areas, the latest assessment reported no detectable methane, hydrogen sulphide, or carbon monoxide during the sampling period. Environmental experts note that methane production commonly decreases as landfills age, making lower readings consistent with older waste sites.

Despite these improvements, toxicologists caution that the absence of certain gases does not eliminate broader environmental concerns. Some pollutants can migrate through soil or groundwater over long periods, making continued monitoring an important part of determining potential long-term risks.

A major question still facing state regulators is whether contaminants from the landfill have reached surrounding residential neighbourhoods in ways that could affect public health. This process, often referred to by environmental scientists as a “pathway to human exposure”, remains under review by the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP).

According to information released by the department, its review of available environmental data has not identified evidence of a completed pathway exposing nearby residents to contamination. However, officials also emphasised that their investigation remains active and that additional evaluation is continuing.

The NJDEP is expected to release a more comprehensive review of environmental findings after completing its independent analysis of testing conducted by multiple parties. The agency has also announced plans to hold a public meeting where residents will have an opportunity to hear officials explain the results and discuss future steps.

Meanwhile, redevelopment plans for the Aeromarine property are beginning to take shape. Pacer Partners, a private development company currently negotiating to purchase the landfill, says its priority is to complete environmental cleanup before any future construction occurs.

Company representatives have stated that residential housing is no longer being considered for the site after engineers determined that current environmental regulations make such development impractical. Instead, discussions are shifting toward commercial uses combined with public amenities, including possible waterfront access and recreational spaces.

The company says its redevelopment strategy focuses first on properly closing and capping the landfill while addressing contamination hotspots identified during environmental investigations. Officials estimate that environmental cleanup alone could require tens of millions of dollars before redevelopment becomes possible.

Experts say the location of the landfill presents additional engineering challenges because it sits near both Raritan Bay and Chingarora Creek. The area’s flood risk, groundwater movement, and future climate-related regulations could significantly affect how cleanup work is performed and how the property may eventually be used.

Some environmental specialists argue that permanently capping contaminated waste may not fully eliminate long-term environmental risks because pollutants can continue moving through groundwater beneath protective barriers. Others note that complete removal of contaminated material would be substantially more expensive and technically complex than containment.

State environmental officials have previously indicated that privately funded cleanup may allow the project to move forward more quickly than relying solely on public funding. However, any redevelopment proposal will still require regulatory approval and long-term environmental monitoring.

For many residents, the latest report provides some answers but leaves important questions unresolved. Families living near the landfill continue requesting expanded testing of neighbourhood soil, household air quality, and residential water supplies. Many are also calling for increased access to cancer screening programmes while environmental investigations continue.

Health experts encourage residents to remain up to date with recommended cancer screenings and discuss personal or family medical histories with healthcare providers. They note that early detection remains one of the most effective tools for improving cancer outcomes regardless of the final conclusions of environmental investigations.

The next major milestone will come when the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection completes its review and publicly presents its findings. Those results are expected to play a key role in determining whether further environmental testing, health studies, or additional cleanup measures will be recommended.

Until then, many families living around the Aeromarine landfill say they simply want clear answers, transparent communication from public officials, and a cleanup process that permanently addresses contamination concerns that have affected their community for decades.

Sources

• New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP)
• U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
• New Jersey Department of Health (NJDOH)