Bill Essayli Requests EPA Investigation
Following reports of rare childhood cancer cases in Ladera Ranch, California, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has been asked to investigate potential environmental links, as families demand transparency and action against suspected pesticide exposure.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is under pressure to investigate a cluster of rare childhood cancers in Ladera Ranch, California, after First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli requested an inquiry into environmental factors. Six children in the affluent Orange County community have been diagnosed with Ewing sarcoma, a rare bone and soft-tissue cancer, with some reports indicating up to a dozen cases of rare cancers among children in Ladera Ranch and other Orange County cities, according to NBC Los Angeles.
Ladera Ranch Maintenance Corporation Suspends Pesticides
EPA Investigation Requested Amid Parental Concerns
Essayli’s letter to EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin cited concerns about an unusual cluster of pediatric Ewing sarcoma cases, which occur in about 200 to 240 children annually nationwide. Residents are raising concerns about a potential cancer cluster and whether environmental factors may warrant further evaluation, he wrote in a Thursday letter, as reported by The Los Angeles Times. The request follows reports from families who claim their children’s diagnoses are linked to pesticide use, though no definitive causal link has been established.
Parents like Jessica Keetch, whose 18-year-old daughter underwent a foot amputation after a synovial sarcoma diagnosis, say the cluster is “not random.” I think people need to listen and wake up and realize something is happening to our children,
she told NBC Los Angeles. Similar sentiments echoed from Megan Matteson, whose 17-year-old son, Brody, died from Ewing sarcoma in March, as reported by The California Post.
Ad Hoc Landscape Pest Management Advisory Committee
Community Pushes for Pesticide Restrictions
Residents have long questioned the use of pesticides in Ladera Ranch, with a Change.org petition urging the Ladera Ranch Maintenance Corporation (LARMAC) to suspend the spray of pesticides. Dr. Bruce Blumberg, a UC Irvine professor, argues that it doesn’t make sense to use toxic chemicals to eliminate weeds when they can be pulled up or gotten rid of in a non-toxic way, as reported by NBC Los Angeles.
In response to community pressure, LARMAC announced a 60-day pause on routine use of certain landscape maintenance products
for weed management and plant growth regulation, though rodent control and invasive pest responses remain unaffected. The company also formed an Ad Hoc Landscape Pest Management Advisory Committee to review practices, as reported by The California Post.
Orange County Health Care Agency Reviews Data
Uncertainties and Next Steps
While federal and local health agencies are reviewing data, no official link between pesticides and the cancers has been confirmed. The Orange County Health Care Agency is collaborating with the California Cancer Registry, the UC Irvine cancer center and the Orange County Agricultural Commissioner’s Office to analyze trends, with findings expected in upcoming weeks, according to the Orange County Register.
State Sen. Catherine Blakespear has pledged to stay personally engaged until answers emerge, as reported by the Orange County Register.
As the EPA weighs its response, families remain determined. These are our children. These are our babies,
Keetch said, as reported by NBC Los Angeles. With the LARMAC committee set to report and federal agencies conducting reviews, the community awaits clarity on whether environmental factors are to blame—and what steps can prevent future cases.
Additional Context from Sources
According to sources, the Ladera Ranch community has seen a number of Ewing sarcoma diagnoses among children dating back to 2013, with additional cases emerging in recent years. This includes 17-year-old Brody Matteson, who died in March. Jackie French, a Ladera Ranch mother and advocate, noted that as many as nine kids have been diagnosed with Ewing sarcoma since 2007.
First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli called on the EPA to investigate after NBC Los Angeles initially reported six cases of Ewing sarcoma but later learned of about a dozen rare cancer cases in children in Ladera Ranch and other Orange County cities.
LARMAC’s decision to halt the use of landscape chemicals follows growing concerns from residents. The Ad Hoc Landscape Pest Management Advisory Committee, formed by LARMAC, is composed of homeowners and Board members, who will review the current pest management program and develop recommendations.
Parents in the community have expressed frustration over the lack of answers. To have three families that just contacted me right away after Brody was diagnosed was helpful but scary at the same time,
Matteson told NBC Los Angeles.
The community’s call for action underscores the urgency of addressing potential environmental risks, even as the scientific and regulatory processes take time to yield concrete conclusions.
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