WHAT'S GOING ON & what we can do?
Join us to protect the environment & health of our communities in Keyport and Union Beach.
NJDEP Searches for Answers
I want to share this message (above with text below) from Ed Potosnak, Acting Commissioner of the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, concerning the ongoing investigation of the former Keyport Sanitary Landfill and the broader Aeromarine property.
I think this is an important update for everyone in Keyport, Union Beach, and the surrounding Bayshore communities.
For months, many of us have been asking questions—sometimes difficult questions—about what may be in the landfill, where contamination may have traveled, and whether anything connected with this property could have affected the people who have lived and worked around it.
We still do not have all of those answers.
But I am encouraged by what I am hearing here.
The DEP is no longer looking only at the landfill itself. Testing has expanded to groundwater, surface water, Chingarora Creek, Raritan Bay, surrounding tributaries, and now residential areas in Keyport and Union Beach. They are also examining the possibility of vapor intrusion into homes and buildings and reviewing the results of testing performed by the borough’s consultant and the prospective purchaser’s consultant.
That expanded investigation is important.
From the beginning, I have believed that we need to follow the evidence wherever it leads. We should neither exaggerate what we know nor minimize legitimate concerns. If testing shows a problem, we need to know exactly what it is, how far it extends, whether people could have been exposed, and what will be done about it. If testing rules certain concerns out, residents deserve to know that too.
I also appreciate Commissioner Potosnak’s commitment to transparency. That is something this community has asked for repeatedly. The residents who have lived with this property in their backyard for decades deserve access to the results, an understandable explanation of what those results mean, and a clear plan for what happens next.
There is still a long way to go. Testing is not the end of the process—it is how we get to the answers.
I want to thank the residents who spoke up, asked questions, attended meetings, contacted officials, shared their experiences, and refused to allow this issue to simply disappear. I also want to thank our local, county, state, and federal officials and the professionals who are now working to determine the facts.
This should never become political. It is about science, public health, our environment, our homes, and our community.
I hope everyone will pay particular attention to the next community meeting on September 22. We should come prepared to listen, learn what the new testing is showing, and continue asking the questions that still need answers.
We have made progress.
Now we need to keep going until the people of Keyport, Union Beach, and the surrounding community know exactly what happened at Aeromarine, what conditions exist today, and what must be done to protect the future.
John Schneider
MESSAGE FOR ED POTOSNAK:
For the past several months, Keyport residents have been wondering if an old landfill along Raritan Bay could be affecting their health. The search for answers, led by the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, is making progress, and we wanted to take this opportunity to speak directly to the community.
Working closely with borough officials, state and federal partners, and outside firms, we're conducting a thorough, science-based environmental investigation of the former Keyport Sanitary Landfill and the broader Aeromarine site. So far, the DEP has extensively sampled surface water and groundwater and reviewed other known contaminated sites in the area. And now we're expanding our sampling efforts into residential areas along the grassy strips between the street and private property in Keyport and in Union Beach neighborhoods near the landfill. State and federal partners and outside firms are conducting a thorough, science-based environmental investigation of the former Keyport sanitary landfill and the broader Aeromarine site.
So far, the DEP has extensively sampled surface water and groundwater and reviewed other known contaminated sites in the area. And now we're expanding our sampling efforts into residential areas along the grassy strips between the street and private property in Keyport and in Union Beach neighborhoods near the landfill. We're looking for any evidence that certain contaminants exist in these areas and, if present, could harmful vapors intrude into buildings or homes where people live and work.
In addition, we're conducting surface water sampling in the bay, Chingarora Creek, and the surrounding tributaries. As well, our staff is looking at the data collected by two independent environmental consultants, one hired by the borough and another by the prospective purchaser of the landfill site.
We understand your concerns about the health and safety of your town, your community, your family, friends, and neighbors, and we've been working quickly to conduct testing responsive to these concerns. We know how important it is to keep you up to date on what's been happening, and we've pledged to be transparent in those communications. As always, the DEP is committed to following the best available science and data, concrete evidence, to evaluate the presence of contamination and whether it's at levels requiring action, and especially whether people have been exposed through direct contact, inhalation, or ingestion.
The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection is grateful to Keyport and its community, to the leaders, and for your partnership, support, and patience as we work to find answers and provide you with peace of mind.
I hope to see you on September 22nd at our next community meeting. Until then, we'll talk soon.
About Keyport & union beach United
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Our Mission
We are a community of residents, neighbors, and concerned citizens in Keyport and Union Beach united by a shared responsibility—to understand our environment, protect our health, and preserve the future of our town.
Our mission is to seek the truth, share accurate information, and advocate for responsible action regarding environmental conditions that affect our lives. We are not driven by fear or speculation, but by facts, transparency, and a commitment to one another. We believe that an informed community is a strong community, and that together, we can ask the right questions, demand clear answers, and ensure that our voices are heard.
We aim to support one another through open dialogue, respectful discussion, and collective action, always keeping the well-being of our families, neighbors, and future generations at the center of everything we do.
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