Keyport families demand answers as cancer fears spread near toxic landfill

☑️Residents packed town hall over the uncapped landfill connection to cancer cases

☑️DEP says testing at the former Aeromarine landfill should be finished by June

☑️Families shared emotional stories of cancer diagnoses

KEYPORT — An estimated 200 people came to a town hall meeting hosted by the DEP about the former Aeromarine landfill and its possible connection to dozens of cancer cases in a nearby neighborhood.

Acting DEP Commissioner Ed Potosnak told the meeting that the agency’s goal with the site is the same as residents': to properly close the landfill and ensure there are no health risks associated with the site, according to News 12 coverage of the meeting. The purpose of the meeting was to hear community concerns but not necessarily provide answers, according to Potosnak.

Potosnak said that testing on the site has not yet started, but existing wells can be used, which will expedite the process. Deputy Commissioner Kati Angarone said that testing should be done by June, with the results released as quickly as possible. Potosnak added that getting the results out is a priority for the DEP, according to NJ.com coverage of the meeting.

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Distrust over cancer cluster concerns

Some expressed distrust in the DEP since the agency failed to properly close the landfill in the first place. The crowd was also upset that the DEP planned to focus only on the  Aeromarine site for now. Some attendees asked how the DEP is tracking former residents, which DEP officials admitted was difficult.

Several residents talked emotionally about their family's own cancer cases.

The site was closed in 2010 but was never properly capped, according to an NJ.com report.  The landfill began leaking into Raritan Bay and at least 40 cancer cases have been recorded nearby.

It can be difficult to prove a cancer cluster caused by a common environmental factor because cancer is not uncommon. It's the second leading cause of death in New Jersey and 1 in 3 people will get diagnosed with some form of cancer in their lifetime.

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