Federal prosecutor urges EPA probe of possible cancer cluster in Ladera Ranch
The U.S. Attorney’s Office has asked the Environmental Protection Agency to investigate whether environmental factors contributed to six cases of Ewing sarcoma among children in the Ladera Ranch community.
Los Angeles’ First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli sent a letter to EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin on Thursday requesting a review of potential environmental causes for a cluster of pediatric Ewing sarcoma cases in Ladera Ranch, a master-planned community in Orange County. The letter, obtained by The California Post, notes that at least six children have been diagnosed with the rare bone and soft-tissue cancer since 2013, including a 17-year-old who died during treatment.
Essayli cited CDC and National Cancer Institute guidance that unusual cancer patterns and community concerns about environmental exposures should be examined through a systematic, science-based process. He asked the EPA to determine whether any federal environmental laws may be implicated.
Assemblymember Diane Dixon expressed support for a thorough investigation, emphasizing the need to ensure safety for families in Orange County. Meanwhile, Bond Legal is conducting a confidential inquiry, gathering information from families about possible exposures to pesticides, herbicides, contaminated soil or water, construction materials and other hazards. The Orange County Health Care Agency is also reviewing the cases, with representatives from the California Cancer Registry, the UCI Cancer Center and the county’s Agricultural Commissioner’s Office planning an updated analysis of cancer data.
Ewing sarcoma affects roughly 200 to 240 children and teens nationwide each year, according to the American Cancer Society. The concentration of cases in a single community has prompted local officials and legal representatives to seek further data and possible environmental links.