Update from Resident Advocate Jackie French
Update originally posted on Facebook 7/13/26 I wanted to put a clear summary in one place so everyone understands what we know, what we do not know, and what we are asking for.
We began looking into this because of self-reported cases of Ewing’s sarcoma in Ladera Ranch involving children diagnosed in 2013, 2017, 2021, 2022, 2023, and 2024. The four consecutive years were especially concerning to parents.
Since then, we have received two additional self-reported cases of Ewing's, one from 2007 and one from slightly before that, although we do not yet have an exact diagnosis date for that case. We have also received many other stories of cancer cases in both residents and pets.
But I want to be very clear: no cancer cluster has been officially determined in Ladera Ranch, and we do not know what caused these cancers. At this time we do not even have confirmation that the rates of cancer in Ladera Ranch are higher than in the rest of California. A group of concerned parents heard these reports and decided to start gathering information. That is what this effort has been about from the beginning.
In May, I contacted the California Cancer Registry and requested an analysis. We were told that process could take several months, and we are still waiting for results. I have since learned that formal “cancer cluster” findings are very rare under the federal definition, but we are hopeful the review will still help us better understand what is happening in our community.
While waiting for the state review, we began gathering information about possible environmental exposures in Ladera Ranch. That has included asking questions about water, pesticides, soil, landfill proximity, infrastructure, school grounds, and other community-wide factors. I have filed many public records requests and spoken with Ewing’s researchers, parents from other communities, residents who previously tried to move Ladera toward organic landscaping, former EPA professionals, public health contacts, the former mayor of Irvine who successfully ran their IPM program, organic landscape companies, attorneys, and others who have dealt with similar issues.
There is no known environmental cause of Ewing’s sarcoma. But several people with relevant expertise have told us that this is worth looking into, and that the most practical place to start is with environmental records, especially water and pesticide/herbicide use.
While looking into the pesticide issue, many residents have become concerned about LARMAC’s pesticide, herbicide, rodenticide, and landscape chemical practices. Residents have asked for records, better notice, clearer signage, and a more protective Integrated Pest Management policy. The lack of clear, accessible information is what led many of us to attend the LARMAC Board meeting.
Based on the notices and records we have reviewed so far, Ladera appears to have regular and heavy pesticide, herbicide, rodenticide, and landscape chemical applications in common areas. We have also learned that CUSD records show Cheetah Pro, which contains glufosinate-ammonium, was applied at several Ladera Ranch school sites in 2026. That is separate from LARMAC’s notices, and we have submitted a public records request to CUSD to better understand what was applied, where, when, and what notice was provided.
At the Board meeting on July 8, LARMAC agreed to form an advisory committee to address this issue. We have submitted names of residents who are willing to serve, and the committee is expected to include resident members and LARMAC representatives. Our goal is to work constructively with the Board and management to move Ladera toward an organics-first IPM policy, similar to the approach used in Irvine, with better transparency, better notice, and reduced reliance on nonessential chemical applications in areas where children and families live, walk, and play.
I also want to say this clearly: the LARMAC Board members are residents of this community. They are elected volunteers and I have not had personal contact with any of them. Please do not send angry messages to any of our board members.
LARMAC is governed by a resident Board and managed professionally. All of my communications on this issue have gone through management, so I do not know how much individual Board members knew before this became a larger community concern. I would not be surprised if many of them are as concerned as the rest of us, and willing to help us with this issue.
We have sent proposed dates for the first advisory committee meeting and are waiting for confirmation from the General Manager of LARMAC. I believe strongly in transparency, so I will keep the community updated as this moves forward.
Our goal here is simply to find out whether something unusual is happening in Ladera Ranch, gather the records needed to understand our community’s exposures, and make Ladera healthier and more transparent wherever we can.
We are not accusing any one person, product, or company of causing cancer. We are asking reasonable questions and requesting reasonable changes.
We appreciate so many people reaching out to help, and we understand that people have questions. Hopefully this helps explain where things stand.
If you would like to help, please fill out this form so we can organize volunteers, records requests, research, outreach, and next steps:
Here is the current LARMAC spray notice page:
If someone is good with design and wants to create something that helps residents make sense of the posted notices, please reach out to me.
Thank you to everyone who has shown up, asked questions, shared information, and supported the families affected by this. Ladera Ranch is a beautiful place to live, and it is at its best when residents come together to protect and support one another.