Update on Keyport Sanitary Landfill at Aeromarine Industrial Park

State of New Jersey Provides Update on Coordinated Response on Keyport Sanitary Landfill at Aeromarine Industrial Park to Address Community Concerns

The Borough of Keyport is served by the Keyport Water Department, which is currently meeting all drinking water standards.

The NJDEP is coordinating closely with the Governor's Office, federal agencies, and federal and local officials on efforts to further secure the site and conduct additional testing. The NJDEP will continue to keep the public, as well as federal, State, and local officials, regularly informed.

The first critical step in assessing potential adverse health impacts to Keyport residents is to determine whether environmental contamination from the Aeromarine Landfill has migrated off-site. The NJDEP recognizes that residents are urgently seeking answers and has already taken steps to initiate this process. The State will continue to provide timely updates as the investigation advances and as any environmental or public health assessments progress. Protecting the health, safety, and well-being of New Jersey's communities remains the top priority of the NJDEP and NJDOH.

NJDEP Update

The public drinking water wells that supply water to the Borough of Keyport are not in the vicinity of the landfill. These wells are in confined aquifers, which would not be readily subjected to surficial contamination associated with landfills. The Borough of Keyport Water Department, as well as NJ American Water (from whom the Borough of Keyport purchased additional water), monitor water quality according to State and federal safe drinking water laws and are in compliance with drinking water standards. The Borough of Keyport Water Department has not had a drinking water standard violation since 2007, which was for coliform (a bacteria, not a chemical contaminant).

The NJDEP is reviewing all relevant data, including results from 2010, when the site was most recently tested. To ensure we have the most current data to make assessments and determine next steps, the NJDEP will be testing the water along the site and has made new testing and independent testing associated with the potential purchase of the landfill site a priority as well.

The NJDEP's immediate objective is to expeditiously determine the presence and extent of any contaminants on site and to reexamine if there is a pathway for human exposure. To facilitate, on Thursday, April 23, 2026, the NJDEP issued a permit as part of a potential sale for redevelopment for environmental testing at the site to the current owner, Bay Ridge Realty, and to SESI Consulting Engineers on behalf of Pacer Group Holdings, LLC, a prospective buyer of the property. SESI will conduct soil, groundwater, soil-gas, and geotechnical investigations at the site to assess current conditions. Additionally, during this sampling the NJDEP intends to collect independent samples. SESI has 6 months to conduct the sampling under the permit; however, the NJDEP is engaging closely with SESI about completing testing as soon as possible.

With the forthcoming results and report from the testing, the NJDEP will assess if there is a pathway for human exposure, which will indicate whether additional testing is necessary.

The NJDEP's ultimate objective for this site is to ensure the owner properly closes the landfill. The results of the new testing will guide the requirements to properly close the landfill. The owner, currently Bay Ridge Reality, is responsible for properly closing the landfill to ensure waste does not contaminate surrounding soil, groundwater, or surface water. The NJDEP oversees the closure and post-closure maintenance and monitoring of an inactive sanitary landfill.

NJDOH Review Process in Detail

Once NJDEP collects environmental data or oversees the collection of data under its regulatory authority for this site, NJDOH intends to independently review the data collected and conduct a public health assessment evaluating potential health implications from environmental exposures.

Through a cooperative agreement with the federal Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR), NJDOH conducts public health assessments when:

• A site is listed on USEPA's National Priorities List (Superfund site)
• Environmental agencies or local health officials request an evaluation; or
• Community members petition ATSDR or a Local Health Officer requests the NJDOH to evaluate a site.

These evaluations require available environmental sampling data. When the sampling data are received, NJDOH reviews the data to identify potential human exposure pathways, conducts a public health assessment, and makes recommendations to address any existing risks.

More information on the public health assessment process for community environmental exposures can be found at: https://www.nj.gov/health/ceohs/documents/Evaluating_Potential_Public_Health_Implications_from_Environmental_Exposures_FAQs.pdf

Contact Information for Residents

Residents with environmental concerns or questions about the site may contact the NJDEP Division of Solid Waste Management by visiting https://dep.nj.gov/dshw/contact-us/ or by calling 609-633-1418.

Residents with health concerns may contact NJDOH by visiting: https://www.nj.gov/health/workplacehealthandsafety/occupational-health-surveillance/contact.shtml

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