Updated
Updated · The Independent · Jul 18
U.S. Attorney Seeks EPA Review of 12-Plus Child Cancer Cases in Southern California
Updated
Updated · The Independent · Jul 18

U.S. Attorney Seeks EPA Review of 12-Plus Child Cancer Cases in Southern California

3 articles · Updated · The Independent · Jul 18

Summary

  • A Thursday letter from First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli asked the EPA to review a Southern California cluster in which families say more than a dozen children developed rare cancers.
  • Parents in Orange County have pointed to possible pesticide exposure as a shared factor, though federal officials said no common cause has been established and any link to cancer remains unconfirmed.
  • Ladera Ranch families told NBC Los Angeles the cases include Ewing sarcoma and synovial sarcoma; one boy, Brody Matteson, died in March at 17 after battling Ewing sarcoma.
  • Community pressure has already pushed the Ladera Ranch Maintenance Corp. to form a committee to review landscaping practices and consider safer alternatives to traditional pesticides.

Insights

A dozen children in one suburb developed rare cancers. Could your HOA's lawn care be to blame?
When rare cancers are linked to genetics, why is the EPA investigating pesticides in a California community?