It's no secret, most of us would like to stay in our own home as we age. Yet, sometimes our loved ones just need a little extra help to remain comfortable at home. That's where Always Best Care can help....we are dedicated to exceeding expectations....always.
They say that your golden years are the best years of your life. For most older Americans, that's how it should be - a time to relax, reflect, and live life in a familiar place. After all, senior citizens in the U.S. have worked tirelessly to build a better economy, serve their communities, and raise families.
However, as seniors grow older, completing daily tasks like showering and enjoying activities such as visiting Keyport Historical Society in Keyport, NJ gets harder without someone by their side. Unfortunately, many older Americans aren't able to rely on their adult children for help. The reality in today's world is that family members do not have the skills or time to dedicate to caring for their parents. That's where Always Best Care Senior Services comes in.
Our in-home care services are for people who prefer to stay at home as they grow older but need ongoing care that family or friends cannot provide. More and more older adults prefer to live far away from long-term, institutionalized facilities and closer to the place where they feel most comfortable - their home. Home care in Keyport, NJ is a safe, effective way to give your loved ones the care they need when they need it the most.
Home Care Services
Service AreasSince 1996, Always Best Care has provided non-medical in-home care for seniors to help them maintain a healthy lifestyle as they get older. We are proud to have helped more than 25,000 seniors maintain higher levels of dignity and respect. We focus on providing seniors with the highest level of in-home care available so that they may live happily and independently.
Unlike some senior care companies, we genuinely want to be included in our clients' lives. We believe that personalized care is always the better option over a "one size fits all" approach. To make sure our senior clients receive the best care possible, we pair them with compassionate caregivers who understand their unique needs. That way, they may provide care accordingly without compromising their wellbeing.
The Always Best Care difference lies in life's little moments - where compassionate care and trustworthy experience come together to help seniors live a fruitful, healthy life. Whether you are an aging adult that can't quite keep up with life's daily tasks or the child of a senior who needs regular in-home services, Always Best Care is here to help.
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“I just started using always best care for my dad The certified aids that came from the agency were fantastic This situation is new for myself and my dad For having no complaints from my dad is a plus So ty again for such an easy transition for my dad Much appreciated Susan”
“Such an amazing company with employees who truly care about their business and those they take care of. Caretakers are top notch and customer service is great and they are available whenever you need them.”
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“I am a current client of this provider I can’t begin to tell to you how pleased I am with Always Best Care. Not only have they placed the perfect caregiver with my mother they also take care of the billing and when I need to speak to a receptionist they are always available. Thank you!!”
“I cannot thank Always Best Care enough for helping us find an ideal Assisted Living Facility for my mother. We moved to the city a month ago and had little idea about the local senior living communities. I’d like to thank the highly experienced and knowledgeable caregivers of Always Best Care for helping our family during the difficult time.”
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“I am a current client of this provider We are very happy with Always Best Care. They do 24hr care, and the caregiver is excellent. I would recommend them.”
“I am a current client of this provider We have hired Always Best Care. We have them for 5 to 6 weeks now. My mother practically does everything herself, but sometimes they might fix her her lunch, there might be a little bit of shopping, and they take her to her appointment. My mother is fine. The hours are fine. She got the hours that she requested. I know she is being billed on her credit card. They have been very helpful and very cooperative. The women always call back.”
“I am a current client of this provider We hired Always Best Care two weeks ago for my mom. The woman comes in three days a week to assist my mother with doing the wash, keeping the house picked up, and just talking to her. She’s wonderful. We interviewed several people, and there was just something about the way they were organized in their presentation and their follow up. that impressed us. They were a level above the other ones that we spoke to. They really listen to you about your needs and work very hard to match the caregiver up with what you’re looking for. We were very impressed with them.”
Home is where the heart is. While that saying can sound a tad cliche, it is especially true for many seniors living in America. When given a choice, older adults most often prefer to grow older at home. An AARP study found that three out of four adults over the age of 50 want to stay in their homes and communities as they age.
When you begin to think about why, it makes sense. Home offers a sense of security, comfort, and familiarity.
The truth is, as we age, we begin to rely on others for help. When a family is too busy or lives too far away to fulfill this role, in-home senior care is often the best solution. Home care services allow seniors to enjoy personal independence while also receiving trustworthy assistance from a trained caregiver.
At Always Best Care, we offer a comprehensive range of home care services to help seniors stay healthy while they get the help they need to remain independent. As your senior loved one gets older, giving them the gift of senior care is one of the best ways to show your love, even if you live far away.
To give our senior clients the best care possible, we offer a full spectrum of in-home care services:
If your senior loved one has specific care needs, our personal care services are a great choice to consider. Personal care includes the standard caregiving duties associated with companion care and includes help with tasks such as dressing and grooming. Personal care can also help individuals with chronic conditions like diabetes.
Common personal care services include assistance with:
Sometimes, seniors need helpful reminders to maintain a high quality of life at home. If you or your senior has trouble with everyday tasks like cooking, our home helper services will be very beneficial.
Common home helper care services include assistance with:
Using this kind of care is a fantastic way to make life easier for you or your senior loved one. At Always Best Care, our talented caregivers often fill the role of a companion for seniors. That way, older adults can enjoy their favorite local activities, such as visiting Keyport Waterfront Park in Keyport, NJ with friends while also receiving the care they need daily or weekly.
Common companionship services include:
According to AARP, more than 53 million adults living in the U.S. provide care to someone over 50 years old. Unfortunately, these caregivers experience stress, exhaustion, and even depression. Our respite care services help family caregivers address urgent obligations, spend time with their children, and enjoy nearby activities. Perhaps more importantly, respite care gives family members time to recharge and regroup. Taking personal time to de-stress reduces the risk of caregiver burnout. So, if you've always wanted to eat at the local Drew's Bayshore Bistro or visit Keyports Freeform Mosaic Sculptures Benches, don't feel bad. Doing so is great for both you and your loved one.
At the end of the day, our goal is to become a valuable part of your senior's daily routine. That way, we may help give them the highest quality of life possible. We know that staying at home is important for your loved one, and we are here to help make sure that is possible.
If you have been on the fence about non-medical home care, there has never been a better time than now to give your senior the care, assistance, and companionship they deserve.
Always Best Care in-home services are for older adults who prefer to stay at home but need ongoing care that friends and family cannot provide. In-home care is a safe, effective way for seniors to age gracefully in a familiar place and live independent, non-institutionalized lives. The benefits of non-medical home care are numerous. Here are just a few reasons to consider senior care services from Always Best Care:
According to AARP, 9 out of 10 seniors prefer to age in place within the comfort of their own home. With in-home care, seniors have a way to stay at home, receive the care they need, and maintain a sense of independence, improving overall wellness.
If you or a member of your family have assumed the role of caregiver for your senior loved one, you know how stressful the job can be. Between caregiver burnout and constant worry, being a family caregiver is hard. In-home care relieves your burden and gives you peace of mind knowing that your older family member is in expert hands.
Unlike nursing homes, where the staff and residents rotate frequently, seniors can foster new friendships and build bonds with their caregiver. Seniors who socialize on a regular basis are often happier, which fosters positivity and leads to increased wellbeing.
No two seniors need the same kind of in-home care assistance. That is why each of our Care Plans is tailored to meet our client's individual needs. We offer plans that cover everything from light housekeeping to more involved duties like transportation to doctor's appointments. Our Care Coordinators will work closely with you to develop a personalized plan to ensure your senior's needs are exceeded.
Always Best Care offers a full array of care options for patients at all levels of health. With our trusted elderly care services, your loved one will receive the level of care necessary for them to enjoy the highest possible quality of life.
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While it's true that some seniors have complicated medical needs that prevent them from staying at home, aging in place is often the best arrangement for seniors and their families. With a trusted caregiver, seniors have the opportunity to live with a sense of dignity and do so as they see fit - something that is unavailable to many older people today.
In-home care makes it possible for millions of seniors to age in place every year. Rather than moving to a strange nursing home, seniors have the chance to stay at home where they feel the happiest and most comfortable.
How much does a senior's home truly mean to them?
A study published by the American Society on Aging found that more than half of seniors say their home's emotional value means more than how much their home is worth in monetary value. It stands to reason, then, that a senior's home is where they want to grow old.
With the help of elderly care in Keyport, NJ, seniors don't have to age in a sterilized care facility. Instead, they can age gracefully in the place they want to be most: their home. In contrast, seniors who move to a long-term care facility must adapt to new environments, new people, and new systems that the facility implements. At this stage in life, this kind of drastic change can be more harmful than helpful.
Institutional care facilities like nursing homes often put large groups of people together to live in one location. On any given day, dozens of staff members and caregivers run in and out of these facilities. Being around so many new people in a relatively small living environment can be dangerous for a seniors' health and wellbeing. When you consider that thousands of seniors passed away in nursing homes during the COVID-19 pandemic, opting for in-home care is often a safer, healthier choice for seniors.
Aging in place has been shown to improve seniors' quality of life, which helps boost physical health and also helps insulate them from viral and bacterial risks found in elderly living facilities.
For many seniors, the ability to live independently with assistance from a caregiver is a priceless option. With in-home care, seniors experience a higher level of independence and freedom - much more so than in other settings like a nursing home. When a senior has the chance to age in place, they get to live life on their own terms, inside the house that they helped make into a home. More independence means more control over their personal lives, too, which leads to increased levels of fulfillment, happiness, and personal gratification. Over time, these positive feelings can manifest into a healthier, longer life.
More independence, a healthier life, and increased comfort are only a few benefits of aging in place. You have to take into consideration the role of cost and convenience. Simply put, it's usually easier and more affordable to help seniors age in place than it is to move them into an institutional care facility. According to the US Department of Housing and Urban Development, seniors who age in the comfort of their homes can save thousands of dollars per month.
In-home care services from Always Best Care, for instance, are often less expensive than long-term solutions, which can cost upwards of six figures per year. To make matters worse, many residential care facilities are reluctant to accept long-term care insurance and other types of payment assistance.
With Always Best Care's home care services, seniors and their families have a greater level of control over their care plans. In-home care gives seniors the chance to form a bond with a trusted caregiver and also receive unmatched care that is catered to their needs. In long-term care facilities, seniors and their loved ones have much less control over their care plan and have less of a say in who provides their care.
In-home care is a valuable resource that empowers seniors to age in place on their own terms. However, a big concern for many families and their loved ones is how much in-home care costs. If you're worried that in-home care is too expensive, you may be pleasantly surprised to learn that it is one of the most affordable senior care arrangements available.
Typically, hiring an Always Best Care in-home caregiver for a few hours a week is more affordable than sending your loved one to a long-term care facility. This is true even for seniors with more complex care needs.
At Always Best Care, we will work closely with you and your family to develop a Care Plan that not only meets your care needs, but your budget requirements, too. Once we discover the level of care that you or your senior need, we develop an in-home care plan that you can afford.
In addition to our flexible care options, families should also consider the following resources to help offset potential home care costs:
When you or your senior loved one needs assistance managing daily tasks at home, finding a qualified caregiver can be challenging. It takes a special kind of person to provide reliable care for your senior loved one. However, a caregiver's role involves more than meal preparation and medication reminders. Many seniors rely on their caregivers for companionship, too.
Our companion care services give seniors the chance to socialize in a safe environment and engage in activities at home. These important efforts boost morale and provide much-needed relief from repetitive daily routines. A one-on-one, engaging conversation can sharpen seniors' minds and give them something in which to be excited.
At Always Best Care, we only hire care providers that we would trust to care for our own loved ones. Our senior caregivers in Keyport, NJ understand how important it is to listen and communicate with their seniors. A seemingly small interaction, like a short hug goodbye, can make a major difference in a senior's day. Instead of battling against feelings of isolation, seniors begin to look forward to seeing their caregiver each week.
Understanding the nuances of senior care is just one of the reasons why our care providers are so great at their job.
Unlike some senior care companies, our caregivers must undergo extensive training before they work for Always Best Care. In addition, our caregivers receive ongoing training throughout the year. This training ensures that their standard of care matches up to the high standards we've come to expect. During this training, they will brush up on their communication skills, safety awareness, and symptom spotting. That way, your loved one receives the highest level of non-medical home care from day one.
While it's true that many seniors prefer to age at home, sometimes in-home care isn't the best fit. For those seniors and their families, choosing an assisted living facility makes more sense. Unfortunately, finding the optimal care facility is easier said than done in today's day and age. That's when Always Best Care's assisted living referral services begin to make a lot of sense.
Assisted living is a form of housing intended for seniors who require varying degrees of medical and personal attention. Accommodations may include single rooms, apartments, or shared living arrangements. Assisted living communities are typically designed to resemble a home-like environment and are physically constructed to encourage the independence of residents.
At assisted living communities, seniors receive help with daily activities such as bathing, dressing, and eating. They may also benefit from coordination of services with outside healthcare providers, and monitoring of resident activities to ensure their health, safety, and well-being. Caregivers who work at assisted living communities can also provide medication administration and personal care services for older adults.
Other services offered within assisted living communities can include some or all of the following:
At Always Best Care, our representatives can match your senior's emotional, physical, and financial needs with viable assisted living communities nearby. Results are based on comparative data, so you can select the best choice for you or your loved one.
Always Best Care works closely with local senior living communities to gain valuable knowledge that we then use to help seniors and their loved ones make informed decisions. This information can include basic care and rent, resident availability, and services provided. Because Always Best Care is compensated by these communities, we provide senior living referral services at no extra cost to you.
Some of the most popular assisted living communities to consider in our area include the following:
For many seniors, moving into a senior living community revolves around how and when they want to make a transition to more involved care. Some seniors are more proactive about transitioning to independent living. Others choose to remain home until their care needs or other requirements are satisfied. Remember - our staff is here to help. Contact our office today to learn more about assisted living communities and how we can find a facility that exceeds your expectations.
The first step in getting quality in-home care starts with a personal consultation with an experienced Always Best Care Care Coordinator. This initial consultation is crucial for our team to learn more about you or your elderly loved one to discover the level of care required. Topics of this consultation typically include:
A discussion of your needs and how our trained caregivers can offer assistance in the most effective way
A draft of your care plan, which includes highly detailed notes and a framework for the care that you or your senior will receive
Discuss payment options and help coordinate billing with your insurance provider
Our caregivers are trained to spot changes that clients exhibit, like mental and physical decline. As your trusted senior care company, we will constantly assess and update your Care Plan to meet any new emotional, intellectual, physical, and emotional needs.
If you have never considered in-home care before, we understand that you and your family may have concerns about your Care Plan and its Care Coordinator. To help give you peace of mind, know that every team member and caregiver must undergo comprehensive training before being assigned to a Care Plan.
At the end of the day, we only hire the best of the best at Always Best Care. Whether you need home care in Keyport, NJ 24-hours a day or only need a respite for a couple of hours, we are here to serve you.
When you're ready, we encourage you to contact your local Always Best Care representative to set up a Care Consultation. Our Care Coordinators would be happy to meet with you in person to get to know you better, discuss your needs, and help put together a personalized Care Plan specific to your needs.
KEYPORT, N.J. (PIX11) — Nine soil samples. Four above an EPA screening level for dioxins. Four above the screening level for a cancer-linked chemical.Those are the preliminary results an independent testing team brought to a Keyport town hall Wednesday night, in a community where residents count around 400 cancer cases near an old industrial site and landfill. PIX11 obtained the lab reports and summary tables behind the presentation. Stay connected with community stories that matter: Visit our homepage Four of ni...
KEYPORT, N.J. (PIX11) — Nine soil samples. Four above an EPA screening level for dioxins. Four above the screening level for a cancer-linked chemical.
Those are the preliminary results an independent testing team brought to a Keyport town hall Wednesday night, in a community where residents count around 400 cancer cases near an old industrial site and landfill. PIX11 obtained the lab reports and summary tables behind the presentation.
Stay connected with community stories that matter: Visit our homepageFour of nine locations exceeded the EPA regional screening level for benzo[a]pyrene, a known carcinogen. The highest reading was 350 micrograms per kilogram, about three times the 110 threshold. Four locations also exceeded the dioxin screening level of 4.8 parts per trillion, the highest at 19.3.
Screening levels are a trigger for further investigation. The results do not establish that the chemicals came from the landfill, that people were exposed or that they caused cancer.
“I’m the sampler. I work with the experts,” said Scott Smith, who collected the samples. “I am not here to say cause and effect.”
Smith founded the nonprofit Blue Shirt Justice League and also runs a company that sells contamination testing and cleanup technology. Residents brought him in to test properties around Keyport, including places he says the state has not sampled. The samples were analyzed by ALS Environmental and Eurofins.
“The difference is from the state test and my test is that I am testing in basements and properties they are not testing,” Smith said. “The state, if they test the exact same locations that I test, they are going to get the same results.”
PCBs were below the screening level at all nine locations. “The good news is we had virtually no PFAS in the soil,” Smith said of the long-lasting chemicals sometimes called forever chemicals.
Metals were less clear. Arsenic came in at 56 to 180 parts per million at three locations; Smith’s report notes natural background can reach 40. Lead exceeded the EPA residential screening level of 200 parts per million at four locations, including a reading of 1,400 in soil exposed in one basement. The yard outside the same house measured 14.
Smith called the metals results “very tricky” and said he was still double-checking some findings with the lab.
The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection has said there is no suggestion contamination is leaving the site and no pathway for exposure, according to Kati Angarone, the department’s chief strategy officer, in a June interview with NewsNation. Smith disputes that. On Wednesday he called the site “an unlined toxic waste pit” that he says state records show accepted chemical waste as early as 1975.
The site was once home to Aeromarine, where flying boats and seaplanes were built. It later became a landfill that closed decades ago.
Kevin Garrahan, a health risk assessor who spent nearly four decades at the EPA and has worked alongside Smith before, told residents a 2010 study conducted under state oversight found benzene and vinyl chloride in soil gas at 50 to 60 times New Jersey’s vapor intrusion standards.
That 2010 finding is the basis for the theory the team is now investigating: contaminants move with groundwater over many years, and vapors then enter basements through cracks in foundations.
Air monitoring in Keyport basements began Thursday.
“We may not find anything,” a member of the team told the crowd. “But if it’s there, we will find.”
Karen Dunn lives next to the site.
“Aeromarine is my backyard. I have had five animals with cancer,” Dunn said. “My one dog had bone cancer in his leg, then my other dog, bone cancer in the leg. My other dog had gum cancer, and my two cats had cat leukemia. Is it a coincidence? It’s kind of scary.”
Diane Brinkley has been asking a version of the same question about herself.
“In 2019 I was diagnosed with plasma cell leukemia. I relapsed in 2024,” Brinkley said. “I want to know whether any of that can be attributed to any of this.”
Nothing presented Wednesday established that contamination from the site caused those illnesses.
Smith said the team plans to test surface water, possibly groundwater, and basements.
For Brinkley, Dunn and others in Keyport, the question is the same one they have been asking for years: whether anything from the old site ever reached the places where they live.
The news website NJ.com in April reported on more than 40 cancer cases in a Keyport neighborhood near the former Aeromarine Industrial Park. The property, where workers churned out military seaplanes and flying boats, closed in 1979. Today it is a dormant landfill with confirmed contamination.Two months after the story ran, a study commissioned by NJ.com has logged 370 cases, leading to greater fears of a potential cancer cluster. Residents are calling on the state and the site owner for answers in Keyport, 41 miles south of Manhattan...
The news website NJ.com in April reported on more than 40 cancer cases in a Keyport neighborhood near the former Aeromarine Industrial Park. The property, where workers churned out military seaplanes and flying boats, closed in 1979. Today it is a dormant landfill with confirmed contamination.
Two months after the story ran, a study commissioned by NJ.com has logged 370 cases, leading to greater fears of a potential cancer cluster. Residents are calling on the state and the site owner for answers in Keyport, 41 miles south of Manhattan on the Raritan Bay and home to about 7,100 people.
“We’ve reached out to the community,” said Karin Price Mueller, an NJ.com investigative journalist who broke the story. “And community members have come to us with concerns about cases in their families or even their own case.”
The NJ.com study plots the verified cases — including blood, lung and kidney — in a 0.6-square-mile radius of the site. Researchers also are examining an area about 2.5 square miles beyond the primary neighborhood.
“So many people who have reported to us said that they had genetic testing done,” Mueller said. “And they were told, ‘No it’s not a genetic cause. It’s environmental.’”
No evidence links the cancer cases to the landfill. The researcher who analyzed the initial data, though, concluded that residents in the vicinity are 15% more likely to develop cancer than the rest of Monmouth County.
“It’s such a remarkable number of cases that everyone seems to think it deserves further study,” Mueller said.
A 2010 site study found known and likely carcinogens including benzene, arsenic and lead. Following the initial NJ.com report, the state Department of Environmental Protection said it will study the site in tandem with Pacer Partners, a potential buyer. Pacer applied for a state permit to test for contaminants in February.
“They’re going to determine whether or not there is a so-called pathway for human exposure,” Mueller said. “And that is supposed to tell people whether or not whatever chemicals can be found there could have gotten to people.”
It will take years to know whether the neighborhood is a cancer cluster. Some Keyport families, meanwhile, are mourning loved ones.
“We may never know what caused all of these peoples’ cancers,” Mueller said. “But it’s understandable that they’re worried and they’re concerned.”
The owner, Bay Ridge Realty Corp. of Brooklyn, has been fined $1.2 million, and the site has not been remediated.
“The responsibility at this point is still on the current owner,” Mueller said. “And not a penny has been paid in those fines.”
BRANCHBURG, NJ — There’s more local news in Somerset County and a veteran TAPinto publisher and journalist is proud to bring it to the community.TAPinto Branchburg launched in September 2026. Audrey Blumberg is the site’s owner.“Branchburg has always been the missing piece connecting the towns I cover,” she said. “I cover Bridgewater and Raritan Borough in Somerset County, and then Readington, Flemington and Raritan Township in Hunterdon County, and Branchburg always felt like the connecting ...
BRANCHBURG, NJ — There’s more local news in Somerset County and a veteran TAPinto publisher and journalist is proud to bring it to the community.
TAPinto Branchburg launched in September 2026. Audrey Blumberg is the site’s owner.
“Branchburg has always been the missing piece connecting the towns I cover,” she said. “I cover Bridgewater and Raritan Borough in Somerset County, and then Readington, Flemington and Raritan Township in Hunterdon County, and Branchburg always felt like the connecting piece between the areas, a place that connects the two counties.”
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Blumberg is also the owner and publisher of TAPinto The BReeze and TAPinto Flemington/Raritan.
“Local news has been my focus my entire career. It is what matters most to the people of a community because it is how they live their daily lives, how they spend their money, how they take care of their families,” she said. “There is nothing more important than the local news because it is the one thing that will immediately affect the people.”
Blumberg began her journalism career after graduating from The College of New Jersey as a government reporter for the Princeton Packet, focusing on Hillsborough and Manville. Then she went to Patch Media, covering Bridgewater, and later Bernardsville, Bedminster, Watchung and Warren. She also has a master’s degree from the New School.
Blumberg has lived in Somerset County for 16 years. At one point, for four years, she called Branchburg home.
“Branchburg has an amazing community feel that I didn’t know about,” she said. “People know each other, people respect each other, and although there are two main highways running through (Route 22 and Route 202), it still has that small town feel among the communities and small businesses.”
“Audrey Blumberg has been an outstanding TAPinto franchisee for more than a decade, and we’re thrilled to see her bring that experience and commitment to local journalism to Branchburg,” said Mike Shapiro, Founder and CEO of TAPinto. “Audrey has built successful local news operations in both the Bridgewater/Raritan and Flemington/Raritan/Readington communities, and she understands what it takes to produce quality local journalism while building strong relationships with readers, businesses and community leaders. The launch of TAPinto Branchburg is a natural extension of that work, and we’re excited to have Audrey expanding TAPinto’s coverage in Somerset County.”
Blumberg says TAPinto Branchburg readers can expect updates on the town, ordinances and development, in addition to stories on what is happening in local schools. Readers can also expect coverage of elections, police news and anything that will affect their daily lives.
In addition, there will be coverage of the neighbor who won an award, the person down the street who wrote a book and the student who started their own nonprofit organization.
“We will be the only place to learn everything they need to know about their community,” Blumberg said.
While readers will learn what’s happening, Blumberg said she’s looking forward to learning more about the area too.
“I am just excited to be part of the community,” she said. “I’m learning a lot about it so far and I am so happy to hear how interested people are in reading their local community news and keeping abreast of what is changing in town.”
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(NewsNation) — For decades, the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) has been telling the residents of Keyport that it could not identify a pathway through which residents may be exposed to the chemicals at a shuttered toxic landfill.However, NewsNation has obtained a report from the agency’s archives that appears to conflict with that assessment.The environmental report, filed in May, was prepared by an independent engineering firm, SESI. The firm conducted testing at the Aeromarine landfill on...
(NewsNation) — For decades, the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) has been telling the residents of Keyport that it could not identify a pathway through which residents may be exposed to the chemicals at a shuttered toxic landfill.
However, NewsNation has obtained a report from the agency’s archives that appears to conflict with that assessment.
The environmental report, filed in May, was prepared by an independent engineering firm, SESI. The firm conducted testing at the Aeromarine landfill on behalf of Pacer Partners, the real estate investment and redevelopment company under contract to purchase the property.
SESI identified cracks in the landfill floor that could allow petroleum-related contaminants to reach the subsurface and recommended further investigation.
The report also identified potential pathways for exposure, including soil and groundwater from the site seeping into Raritan Bay and/or Chingarora Creek.
Furthermore, it clearly states that the “primary Contaminant of Potential Ecological Concern exposure pathway is direct contact or exchange with eroded soil into the nearby waterways.”
Dr. Robert Kroutil, a senior research scientist, told NewsNation investigative correspondent Rich McHugh the report highlights potential pathways to exposure, and suggests that the NJDEP hasn’t been fully transparent with residents.
“The chances of groundwater contamination from this site, for example, Hurricane Sandy causing groundwater contamination of the homes near the area, and then the pathway is vapor intrusion into the basements; that likelihood is very high,” said Kroutil.
Scott Smith, an independent testing expert and EPA whistleblower, added that the number of ways Keyport residents can be exposed to the contaminants, based on this unearthed report, is very concerning.
“There’s ingestion, drinking the water, droplets; there’s inhalation, and that’s where the soil comes in and dust particles; then dermal skin exposure from soil, from vapors,” said Smith. “So you’ve got these three pathways to enter the human body, and then you’ve got the pathways from the unlined waste pit.”
Residents in the tight-knit bayside community have long believed there is a link between the Aeromarine landfill, which has been left unsealed for 40 years, and a growing cluster of nearly 400 residents being diagnosed with cancer.
The last time the NJDEP tested the site was in 2010. It found benzene, arsenic, lead, vinyl chloride, and PCBs. The agency said despite the toxins, they never found a clear pathway exposing residents to them.
More recent independent testing obtained by NewsNation found metals, benzene, vinyl chloride and PFAS — so-called “forever chemicals” — in groundwater at the site, with some contaminants exceeding state soil and groundwater standards. The findings show the chemicals had the potential to contribute to health problems seen in the community, but there was no direct link.
That’s when Smith came and took soil samples from the dump site and a home in Keyport in June.
His results, which were shared exclusively with NewsNation, showed the toxins were nearly 6.5 times higher than the EPA trigger threshold for human health exposure.
Before these results were shared, McHugh spoke with Katie Angarone, chief strategy officer for the NJDEP, about the agency’s test results. She reiterated the department’s position that while contamination was found at the site, officials could not identify an exposure pathway that could be making Keyport residents sick.
“We have taken a look at the data, and what we have seen thus far is that there is no pathway from the landfill,” Angarone said. “We are looking at all the other available records to see if there is an environmental exposure.”
Since obtaining the report, a NJDEP spokesperson has said NewsNation is misrepresenting what the department told us. NewsNation has invited the agency to participate in another interview. The agency said it would provide a written statement, which NewsNation will share once it is received.
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