Ladera Health Watch Comes to the Rescue to Help Ladera Ranch with the 6 Ewing Sarcoma Cases
By Carolanne Hunt
What Happened in Ladera Ranch?
Ladera Ranch has been going viral this summer for a cluster of a very rare cancer called Ewing Sarcoma that has impacted families in this community. The story has been featured in many major news outlets such as LA Times, NBCLA, and Voice of OC. This cancer typically only sees a few hundred cases across the US per year, but in Ladera Ranch at least 6 cases have been noted. The families' affected came to speak openly about their experiences at the Ladera Ranch Civic Council town hall in July . There were tears and anguish shared in the community when these families told their stories of grief and loss openly. Legislators like OC Supervisor Katrina Foley, Assemblywoman Diane Dixon, and Assemblywoman Kate Sanchez all came to show their support and hear the public air their grievances. The one consensus point among the people was that toxins in the local environment needed addressing regardless of whether or not it could be confirmed as a leading cause.
Who is Ladera Health Watch?
A few organizations across Orange County have taken a commitment to research and follow up with the agencies tasked with managing this situation going forward. One of these organizations is Ladera Health Watch. They are a grass roots non profit whose mission is to create better data sharing and transparency from research agencies like the California Cancer Registry, provide their own soil and water testing for quicker results and action oriented policy, as well as working with LARMAC (LARMAC stands for Ladera Ranch Maintenance Corporation and is the unincorporated city's HOA) to create a long term non toxic landscape management approach. Ladera Health Watch has been spearheading these efforts to see tangible results happen instead of waiting on a lengthy investigative process.
The California Cancer Registry Process
According to the founder of Ladera Health Watch, Jackie French, a huge bottleneck to seeing investigative progress here is coming from the bureaucracy of the California Cancer Registry. In order for cancers like this showing up in unusual numbers to be truly classified as a cluster (meaning many cases in one location), it has to be determined by the center after they conduct their own investigation. However, in order to even get to that point the community must gather their own data and petition the California Cancer Registry to investigate. The center has the ability at that stage to accept or decline the petition. It is possible not all communities affected with unusual cancer numbers even get looked at.
Ladera Health Watch did the leg work to petition the California Cancer Registry and their petition was accepted. The earliest this investigation to determine if what Ladera Ranch is experiencing can be classified as a true cluster, is some time this fall. If it is concluded that a cluster exists, the next step is when the EPA will come in to conduct environmental testing to determine what that cause may be. Overall, this is a lengthy process that does not address many bureaucratic bottlenecks or a deeply concerned community that wants to get moving.
Ladera Health Watch Initiates Testing
Here is where Ladera Health Watch is shining as a beacon of hope to the people of Ladera Ranch. They have partnered with a researcher at California State University Fullerton, who herself is a Ladera Ranch resident, to take up some of the environmental testing months ahead of the potential EPA testing that could occur. They are not waiting on government agencies at all.
Another bottleneck that hurts communities in these cluster type positions is that much of this cancer research and environmental data is not made public, nor is it followed up. The Ladera Ranch cases are not the first cluster to occur in Orange County. Approximately 13 years ago another cluster was discovered in Irvine with at least 16 people having brain cancer. The city of Irvine became the first city in Orange County to implement a non toxic landscape management policy under their former mayor Christina Shae. However, it does not appear a follow up was ever done to confirm if this move to a non toxic landscape policy had any impact on the local cancer rates. This becomes an issue as legislators in the hot seat often cite a lack of evidence to the toxicity of herbicides and pesticides as a means to escape meaningful action or accountability. It is disingenuous to say there is a lack of evidence, when in fact there could be significant evidence if the research was actually being conducted properly.
Beyond Pesticides Lends a Hand To Ladera Health Watch and LARMAC
Ladera Health Watch is working very closely with the organization Beyond Pesticides to see what viable options there are to transition Ladera Ranch to a non toxic landscape management plan. Jackie stated she was very grateful for all of the guidance that Beyond Pesticides has given and they have been crucial to their continued progress. The voices of the people have certainly shared the sentiment that they are immediately ready to move forward with such a policy.
The public talks on these herbicide and pesticide policies with the community and LARMAC have been contentious at times, but seem to be moving in the right direction. LARMAC is still continuing their pause on using specific pesticides such as Attrimec, Lifeline, and Spectacle G, but there is a long list of toxic chemicals still in use the community wants replaced with safer alternatives. Many concerned residents are unhappy with the current level of progress, or lack thereof, and argue that LARMAC is still dragging their feet and need to produce a more straightforward plan and tangible results.
Funding Opportunities
In order to assist, Ladera Health Watch worked side by side with LARMAC in finding an excellent grant opportunity of up to $400,000 that could provide the funding to make the transition to a non toxic land management policy a reality. Assemblywoman Diane Dixon, Assemblywoman Kate Sanchez, State Senator Blakespear, OC Board Supervisor Katrina Foley, and Congressman Mike Levin all wrote letters in support of this grant to encourage a successful grant win. Ladera Health Watch also applied for this grant, and each organization could potentially end up with the financial means to apply these non toxic principles to the community.
A Humble Background
For such a small volunteer group, Ladera Health Watch is making a big impact. When asked how the group started, Jackie shared a very humble story. She herself was just an ordinary Ladera Ranch resident when she found out about the cancer cases only a few months ago. Like any concerned resident in this situation, she started researching for information. What she found was more than enough to push her to get involved. Thus Ladera Health Watch was born. One by one, more concerned residents started to show up. Taryn Morais, Samantha Dazey, Nubia Krokorian, and Kareen Sassounian all joined and have become the core team propelling this work forward. Together they have become a force that is getting the work done to put the health of Ladera Ranch residents first.
The Future of Ladera and Orange County
Cities all around Ladera Ranch have taken note and are equally enacting their own policies to mitigate potential cancers. School boards in neighboring cities are banning pesticide and herbicide use on athletic fields. Some cities are also working to create their own non toxic landscape plans as well. More concerned residents across Orange County as a whole are showing up to their city council meetings and OC Board of Supervisors meetings to address the current toxic policies they want changed.
There will undoubtedly be more updates on this situation in the coming months. For more information or to stay connected you can follow Ladera Health Watch on their website at LaderaHealthWatch.org or on their instagram @LaderaHealthWatch
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