Pallone calls for EPA testing near Keyport landfill
The push comes amid growing concerns about reported cancer cases among residents living near the site.
U.S. Rep. Frank Pallone is calling on federal environmental officials to conduct additional testing in residential areas near a former Keyport landfill amid renewed concerns about possible toxin and heavy metal contamination.
Pallone asked Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin and EPA Region 2 Administrator Mike Martucci to conduct testing in the residential area near the former Aeromarine landfill, where state officials are already testing groundwater and soil.
“The reports coming from Keyport continue to be concerning enough for my constituents to repeatedly and urgently share their concerns with me,” Pallone said. “We need more data to provide the Keyport residents I represent the peace of mind they deserve.”
The request follows the release of independent testing that Pallone said indicated potential soil contamination beyond the landfill. The congressman cautioned in his letter that the findings were not vetted or overseen by a government agency but said they warranted further investigation.
“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,” Pallone wrote.
The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection has been testing the former landfill site for toxins and heavy metals and investigating potential ways nearby residents could have been exposed, according to Pallone.
Earlier this year, the congressman called for a state and federal investigation after reports identified more than 40 cancer cases near the site, including 28 on one street. Pallone said reports of cancer cases in the area have continued to grow since then.
Pallone, who attended a community meeting in Keyport on July 30, previously sought assistance from Zeldin in April as residents raised concerns about the site.
“The families I represent in Keyport deserve peace of mind knowing your Administration is doing everything possible to ensure their safety,” Pallone wrote.
Krystal Knapp is the founder, executive director, and publisher of The Jersey Vindicator and the founder of Planet Princeton. She has more than two decades of experience reporting in New Jersey, including 10 years at The Trenton Times, where she was the newsroom’s public records and computer-assisted reporting expert. Her work has been recognized by the New Jersey Press Association and the Center for Cooperative Media. You can reach her at Krystal AT jerseyvindicator.org.