Pallone Calls on EPA to Conduct Additional Testing in Keyport Residential Areas As Concerns Mount

LONG BRANCH, N.J. - As residents raise renewed concern about external reports documenting local toxin and heavy metal pollution around the site of the former Aeromarine landfill in Keyport, New Jersey, Congressman Frank Pallone, Jr. (NJ-06) today called on Lee Zeldin, the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), as well as the EPA Region 2 Administrator Mike Martucci, to perform additional community-based environmental testing in Keyport's residential areas outside of the landfill.

"The reports coming from Keyport continue to be concerning enough for my constituents to repeatedly and urgently share their concerns with me. We need more data to provide the Keyport residents I represent the peace of mind they deserve, and that is why the Environmental Protection Agency must conduct additional testing in the residential areas," said Pallone.

Earlier this year, Pallone called for an urgent state-federal probe from state and federal agencies into the site of the Aeromarine landfill after more than 40 cancer cases, including 28 clustered on one street, were identified in its vicinity. Since those initial reports, outside reporting of cancer in the area has grown exponentially.

Pallone has continued to monitor developments in Keyport closely, most recently attending a community meeting on July 30. Testing of groundwater and soil at the Aeromarine site in the Borough of Keyport is ongoing.

Pallone also pressed Administrator Zeldin for assistance in April as concerns from the Keyport community grew.

His full letter to the EPA can be found here and below:

Dear Administrators Zeldin and Martucci:

For several months, the State of New Jersey's Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) has performed testing at the Keyport Sanitary Landfill at the Aeromarine Industrial Park in Keyport, New Jersey to identify toxins and heavy metals present, as well as potential pathways to exposure for the surrounding residents. I am calling on the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to perform additional community-based testing.

NJDEP has worked to the best of their ability to obtain quick and accurate results. Recently, external researchers released new results that indicate potential contamination of soil beyond the landfill. This independent data was not vetted or overseen by any government entity but raises genuine concern among residents that the EPA must take seriously. Now is the time for federal assistance to complete further testing in residential areas to determine the validity of preliminary tests and the safety of the communities in the area of concern.

EPA assistance with state-level testing is not uncommon. In 2023, EPA assisted the NJDEP in addressing uncertainties around the atmospheric pathways of PFAS contamination of surface waters. Through this effort, EPA's Office of Research and Development, the Office of Air and Radiation and federal partners such as the U.S. Geological Survey, developed a standardized method for nationwide measurement of PFAS in precipitation. This is just one example of the benefits of the EPA stepping up to assist state efforts to identify contamination.

The families I represent in Keyport deserve peace of mind knowing your Administration is doing everything possible to ensure their safety.

Sincerely,

FRANK PALLONE, JR.

Member of Congress