A former New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection planner and policy analyst has accused state officials of ignoring a 2010 study that identified dangerous levels of toxic chemicals at the closed Aeromarine landfill in Keyport.

Bill Wolfe posted details from the study on his Substack account in recent weeks. The post came as the NJDEP prepared for a Tuesday meeting with residents concerned about a possible cancer cluster linked to the site.

The 2010 remedial investigation, conducted for Keyport Borough, detected benzene at concentrations up to 1,086 micrograms per cubic meter in soil gas samples. That level reached 60 times the NJDEP soil gas screening level that should trigger action. Vinyl chloride appeared at about 50 times the screening level, according to EPA veteran Kevin Garrahan.

Garrahan reviewed the data and stated that the findings warranted immediate remediation. He noted the possibility that the community faced unnecessary exposure to human carcinogens for 16 years.

NJDEP has maintained that the 2010 report showed no complete pathway for human exposure and that contaminants remained contained within the landfill. The agency conducted additional testing this year amid resident complaints and independent findings of metals, benzene, vinyl chloride, and PFAS in groundwater.

Residents voiced frustration at the Tuesday public forum. One demanded details on why the department skipped a vapor intrusion investigation in 2010 despite the elevated readings.

The landfill operated from the early 1960s until closure in 1979. It accepted industrial wastes in addition to municipal trash. The site borders Raritan Bay and Chingarora Creek, raising concerns about leaching into surrounding waters.

Wolfe, who worked at NJDEP for years, has previously criticized the department's oversight of old landfills statewide. He argued that the 2010 data should have prompted public notification and cleanup rather than remaining unaddressed for more than a decade and a half.