Following reports by NBC Los Angeles, Bill Essayli, First Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Central District of California, announced on Thursday that he is requesting the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to investigate the rare cancer cases affecting children in Ladera Ranch.
NBC Los Angeles initially reported six cases of Ewing sarcoma, a rare bone and soft-tissue cancer, but later learned of about a dozen rare cancer cases in children in Ladera Ranch and other Orange County cities. Nationwide, about 200 to 240 children and teens are diagnosed with Ewing sarcoma each year, according to the American Cancer Society.
Essayli’s request to the EPA aims to identify any environmental causes and determine if federal environmental laws are implicated. His letter to EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin references NBC Los Angeles’ reporting on the community’s concerns about the number of cancer cases. Parents in Ladera Ranch, like Jessica Keetch, believe environmental factors may be contributing to the illnesses. Keetch’s daughter had her foot amputated due to synovial sarcoma, a rare cancer affecting about 1,000 people annually in the U.S.
Megan Matteson, another Ladera Ranch resident, lost her son Brody to Ewing sarcoma. She shared that after Brody’s diagnosis, other families contacted her with similar cases. While no official link between pesticides and these cancers has been established, families are advocating for the use of non-toxic pesticides. Dr. Bruce Blumberg from the University of California, Irvine, supports the idea that pesticides could be linked to the cancers, citing data showing a correlation.
The Ladera Ranch Maintenance Corporation is forming a committee to review landscaping practices, following community pressure to explore safer alternatives to toxic chemicals. The Orange County Health Care Agency is also reviewing the matter, and Bond Legal is conducting its own investigation into potential environmental factors.
Assemblymember Diane Dixon expressed support for a thorough investigation to ensure community safety.
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