Keyport, NJ Residents Raise Alarm Over Suspected Cancer Cluster

Former resident maps over 40 cancer cases in small town, linking them to closed toxic dump site

Apr. 20, 2026 at 3:48pm

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An extreme close-up X-ray photograph showing the ghostly internal structure of a rusted metal drum, conceptually representing the toxic contamination at the heart of a suspected cancer cluster in a New Jersey town.An X-ray view exposes the hidden toxins within a former industrial dump site, a potential source of a troubling cancer cluster in a New Jersey community.Keyport Today

Residents of Keyport, New Jersey are raising concerns about a potential cancer cluster in their community, with one former resident mapping over 40 cancer cases, including 28 on a single street. The cases are suspected to be linked to a closed toxic dump site in the area that has been leaking carcinogenic chemicals for decades, according to environmental assessments. Local officials and medical experts agree the site needs urgent study, but the area has not yet been officially designated as a cancer cluster.

Why it matters

Cancer clusters can indicate serious public health issues tied to environmental contamination, but they are notoriously difficult to prove. This case highlights the challenges residents face in getting authorities to take action, even with mounting evidence of a problem. Proper cleanup of the toxic dump site could be crucial to protecting the health of the Keyport community.

The details

Rusty Morris, a former Keyport resident, began keeping track of cancer diagnoses on and around his childhood street, eventually mapping 28 cases just on First Street and 41 throughout the borough. Doctors and public health experts who reviewed Morris' map said the concentration of cases looked like a 'crazy high percentage.' The cases are suspected to be linked to the Aeromarine Industrial Park, a 50-acre former landfill that operated from the 1960s until its closure in 1979. Environmental assessments have found the site is contaminated with known carcinogens like benzene, lead, arsenic, vinyl chloride and PCBs, which have likely been leaching into the surrounding air, water and soil for decades.

  • The Aeromarine Industrial Park operated as a landfill from 1962 until its closure in 1979.
  • In 2010, an environmental assessment found the site was contaminated with at least five known carcinogens.
  • In 2021, the town of Keyport filed a lawsuit against the owners of the Aeromarine site, alleging they failed to properly seal off the landfill when it closed.

The players

Rusty Morris

A 46-year-old former Keyport resident who began mapping cancer cases in his hometown, identifying 41 cases throughout the borough and 28 just on his childhood street.

Dr. Alexis Mraz

An associate professor in the Department of Public Health at The College of New Jersey, who reviewed Morris' cancer map and said the concentration of cases looked like a 'crazy high percentage.'

Aeromarine Industrial Park

A 50-acre former landfill site in Keyport that operated from 1962 until its closure in 1979, and has been the subject of environmental assessments finding it is contaminated with known carcinogens.

New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection

The state agency that has cited the owners of the Aeromarine site multiple times for allegedly failing to properly seal off the landfill, and says it is committed to ensuring the site is properly closed to protect public health.

Dr. Scarlett Gomez

A professor in the Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics at the University of California, San Francisco, who says the Keyport site should be cleaned up regardless of whether it is officially designated as a cancer cluster.

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What they’re saying

“That looks insane.”

— Dr. Alexis Mraz, Associate Professor, The College of New Jersey Department of Public Health

“There are likely more cancer cases. I think it's definitely worth looking into.”

— Dr. Alexis Mraz, Associate Professor, The College of New Jersey Department of Public Health

“Why do we need to wait to see if it's going to cause disease down the road?”

— Dr. Scarlett Gomez, Professor, University of California San Francisco Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics

What’s next

The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection says it has begun initial discussions to determine the next steps for the Aeromarine Industrial Park site, which could involve more public health assessments.

The takeaway

This case highlights the urgent need for comprehensive environmental testing and cleanup of the Aeromarine Industrial Park site in Keyport, New Jersey. Even without an official cancer cluster designation, the concentration of cases mapped by a former resident and the known toxic contamination at the site warrant immediate action to protect the health of the local community.