Updated
Updated · OCRegister · Jul 23
LARMAC Halts Some Pesticide Use for 60 Days After 9 Ewing Sarcoma Cases
Updated
Updated · OCRegister · Jul 23

LARMAC Halts Some Pesticide Use for 60 Days After 9 Ewing Sarcoma Cases

3 articles · Updated · OCRegister · Jul 23

Summary

  • A 60-day pause on certain routine landscape chemicals is now in effect in Ladera Ranch after a petition drew thousands of signatures and residents packed a community meeting.
  • More than 300 people attended Tuesday’s meeting, where families and officials said spraying should stop regardless of whether investigators ultimately prove a link to cancer cases.
  • Since 2007, as many as nine children in the community have been diagnosed with Ewing sarcoma, including 17-year-old Brody Matteson, who died in March.
  • Orange County health officials, the California Cancer Registry, UC Irvine’s cancer center and the county agricultural commissioner are reviewing the data, with findings expected in coming weeks.
  • The dispute has widened beyond the latest pause: advocates say they have pushed for years to curb pesticide use, citing transparency concerns and 35 reported dog cancer cases.

Insights

A community demands answers for its sick children. Is the price of perfect lawns a pediatric cancer cluster?
Ewing sarcoma has a genetic trigger. Could common pesticides be flipping the switch for this rare cancer?