In April 2026, a Keyport resident mapped 41 cancer cases in a town of about 7,000 people — 28 on a single street — clustered around a contaminated landfill. Congressman Pallone called for a federal probe. Here's what's in the soil, what may be in the water, and what Monmouth County homeowners can do right now.
On April 18, 2026, Congressman Frank Pallone, Jr. formally demanded a federal and state investigation into a suspected cancer cluster in Keyport, New Jersey. His letter, sent to the EPA and CDC, cited the work of a local resident who spent months mapping confirmed cancer diagnoses in the small borough.
The cases are clustered around the former Aeromarine landfill, a decades-old contaminated site that has been subject to state fines exceeding $900,000 in 2024 and 2025 alone — with critics saying meaningful cleanup has never happened. The last comprehensive environmental study of the site was conducted more than a decade ago, in 2010.
Sources: Congressman Frank Pallone's official press release (April 2026); News 12 New Jersey; The Link News.
Legal filings, state environmental assessments, and a 2010 independent study documented the presence and active migration of hazardous substances from the Aeromarine landfill into surrounding soil, groundwater, and the Chingarora Creek tributary:
Contaminated groundwater has been observed actively discharging from the landfill site. That groundwater flows into Chingarora Creek and into the broader watershed that surrounds Keyport and Union Beach.
Source: Pallone press release summary; 2010 environmental study coverage.
The Keyport Water Department (PWS ID NJ1322001) was technically in federal compliance as of Q2 2024. But "federally compliant" does not mean "safe by modern health standards" — the EPA has not updated its legal limits for most contaminants in nearly 20 years.
The EWG Tap Water Database lists multiple contaminants detected in Keyport's municipal supply, including:
Keyport sits inside the broader New Jersey PFAS problem. According to the NJ DEP:
Sources: NJDEP PFAS Standards; NIEHS Environmental Factor, February 2025; EWG — PFAS Skin Absorption Study.
The Keyport cluster story is the most urgent local signal, but the underlying water-quality issues extend well beyond one borough. The following groups should be especially attentive:
Anyone within a mile of the Aeromarine landfill site. Priority streets: First Street, Broadway, Front Street, and the waterfront-facing neighborhoods. Groundwater contamination has been documented discharging from the site into Chingarora Creek, which drains this entire area.
Any home built before 1986 in Monmouth County may still have lead service lines or lead solder in its plumbing. NJ law requires replacement of all lead service lines by 2031. NJ American Water has been canvassing Monmouth County door-to-door since February 2023 inspecting lines. The older, pre-1970s communities of Keyport, Red Bank, Keansburg, Asbury Park, and Long Branch are at elevated risk.
Approximately 1.1 million NJ residents statewide rely on private wells. In Monmouth County, private well use is significant in Marlboro, Holmdel, Colts Neck, and Howell. Marlboro is home to two Superfund sites (Imperial Oil and Burnt Fly Bog). Approximately 11% of NJ private wells tested since December 2021 have exceeded the state's safe PFAS standard.
A NIH-funded study found that 90% of US preschoolers have detectable PFAS in their bodies — with concentrations higher than their mothers' during pregnancy. PFAS exposure is linked to developmental problems, vaccine resistance, elevated cholesterol, and immune dysfunction in children.
Sources: NJDEP Lead Service Lines Map; HealthyChildren.org (AAP) — Forever Chemicals; NJ1015 — PFAS in NJ Wells.
FIXALL Plumbing Heating & Air Condition is based in Keyport. This is our hometown. Here are the practical steps every family in the area should be taking:
FIXALL provides a free in-home water test for Keyport-area residents. We check chlorine levels, hardness, pH, total dissolved solids, and visible sediment. You see results in minutes — no lab wait, no pressure. For homes near the Aeromarine site or with older plumbing, we can recommend a certified independent lab for specific testing (VOCs, PFAS, heavy metals).
The NJDEP maintains a public map of all known lead service lines: dep.nj.gov/lead/map. If your home's status is "unknown," that's a flag — especially for homes built before 1986. NJ American Water charges $0.91/month to fund replacement; the 2031 deadline is closer than it sounds.
Every public water system is required to publish a Consumer Confidence Report (CCR). For Keyport: contact the Keyport Water Department. For most of Monmouth County (NJ American Water Coastal North): amwater.com/ccr/coastalnorth.pdf. Look for levels of TTHMs, HAA5, PFOA, and PFOS.
A certified whole-home filtration system is the most effective single action a homeowner can take. It treats every drop of water in the home — drinking, cooking, showering, dishwashing, laundry — at the point of entry before anyone is exposed. That's the Halo 5 in a nutshell.
FIXALL is a registered Halo dealer. The Halo 5 is a 5-stage whole-home filtration and conditioning system that attaches at the main water line — meaning every tap in your home is protected.
Halo does not market the 5-stage as a PFAS-specific system. For homeowners who want total PFAS removal at the drinking-water tap, FIXALL pairs the whole-home Halo with a reverse osmosis (RO) unit at the kitchen sink. RO is the gold standard for PFAS removal. You get whole-home protection for chlorine/VOCs/scale plus surgical PFAS filtration for drinking and cooking water. That's the combo we install in most Monmouth County homes with young children.
Given the April 2026 cancer cluster announcement, FIXALL is prioritizing free water tests for Keyport, Union Beach, Hazlet, and Keansburg residents. No obligation, no pressure — just real answers about what's in your water and what it will take to protect your family.
FIXALL is based in Keyport. We know this town. We know this water. Get real answers about what's in it — and what it will take to protect your family.