A New Jersey father who was recently diagnosed with leukemia is turning his front yard into a gathering place for neighbors demanding answers about a landfill that residents fear has been contaminating their community for decades.
More than 150 people gathered at Sal Liguori's home in Keyport, where frustration over possible contamination continued to build, according to NJ.com.
What happened?
The event was held near the Aeromarine waterfront site. That is where Sal Liguori — an auto body shop owner, union worker, and father who lost his son to cancer — brought neighbors together over a property NJ.com said has long been suspected of releasing pollutants into nearby waterways.
Residents are concerned that the contamination could be connected to what they believe is a local cancer cluster.
Addressing the crowd, Liguori urged neighbors to share their stories and document cancer cases.
"We deserve the truth," he said.
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"I found five people here tonight, five more people tonight, just by me saying hello," he also told attendees.
Those fears have deepened as more reports continue to emerge. NJ.com reported that more than 415 people have since reached out to report cancer cases affecting their families.
Why does it matter?
A preliminary disease incidence study commissioned by NJ.com estimated that residents near the former dump in Keyport and Union Beach are 15% more likely to have cancer than other Monmouth County residents, though experts told the outlet that more study is needed before linking the site to those cases.
Residents worry that the place they call home may have exposed their families to serious harm while agencies and officials moved too slowly to respond.
Sixteen-year-old Lila Henn, who was diagnosed with a rare bone cancer at age 12, told the crowd: "I want my town to be a safe place, and I don't think that should be too big of an ask."
Her mother, Nicole Henn, pushed back on a recent update from the state Department of Environmental Protection, which said an early review of incomplete testing "does not indicate a pathway for human exposure to contamination."
"I don't see any scenario where the DEP can definitively say at this point in their testing there is no pathway to human exposure. That's just not possible," Henn asserted.
What's being done?
The growing outcry is drawing attention from local, state, and federal officials.
State Assemblyman Gerry Scharfenberger, Assemblywoman Victoria Flynn, state Sen. Declan O'Scanlon and U.S. Rep. Frank Pallone attended Liguori's event.
Scharfenberger, Flynn and O'Scanlon said residents who are uninsured or underinsured may qualify for low- or no-cost screenings through New Jersey's NJSEED program, which covers breast, cervical, colorectal and prostate cancer screenings.
Meanwhile, Keyport Mayor Rose Araneo said the borough is reviewing results from its environmental engineer, Excel, while waiting for more DEP reports.
Pallone said that once state results are released, officials can press the EPA if needed.
Liguori's message was even more direct.
"We deserve the truth," he stated.
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