Cancer Registry, CUSD Pause + 4 Investigations
- Aug 11
- 3 min read
Updated: 4 days ago
Here are the six biggest things happening right now:
1. Cancer Registry results are now expected this fall.
We had hoped to have the California Cancer Registry analysis sooner, but CDPH has indicated the results are now expected sometime this fall. Those results will help determine whether government agencies move forward with additional investigation and environmental testing.
In the meantime, we are working on a plan for carefully designed independent environmental testing so we don't lose these next several months simply waiting.
2. CUSD has implemented a 60-day pause.
We are very grateful to Trustee Lisa Zollinger, who let us know directly that Capistrano Unified would be implementing a 60-day pause on routine landscape-maintenance products and weed-control spraying while the District evaluates alternatives.
We also received our public-records production from CUSD and now have pesticide-use records showing what products were used and in what amounts throughout the District. We are reviewing those records now and preparing for the upcoming CUSD Board meeting on Thursday, August 13.
3. Two state resolutions are now moving forward.
We have spent the past several months meeting with elected officials and pushing for greater state-level attention to what is happening in Ladera, and we are very grateful to Assemblywoman Kate Sanchez and her colleagues for turning that concern into concrete legislative action.
HR 129, authored by Assemblywomen Sanchez, Laurie Davies and Diane Dixon, would formally recognize July as Sarcoma Awareness Month in California and emphasize the need for greater awareness, research and clinical resources. It has already cleared the Assembly Rules Committee and is moving forward.
AJR 35 goes much further. It calls for federal research into environmental cofactors and potential triggers of Ewing sarcoma, asks California agencies to establish a scientific partnership to improve access to epidemiological data, and urges funding for research into chemical exposure pathways and localized cancer-cluster dynamics in South Orange County. It is currently before the Assembly Health Committee.
4. California is holding a pesticide oversight hearing Tuesday.
Senator Catherine Blakespear will co-chair a joint Senate and Assembly hearing titled: “Putting Public Protection First: Is California's Pesticide Program Achieving its Purpose?”
Tuesday, August 11 at 1:30 p.m.
The hearing will be livestreamed and recorded here:
5. The OC Agricultural Commissioner is investigating four pesticide complaints in Ladera.
Agricultural Commissioner Jose Arriaga confirmed this week that his office is actively investigating four separate allegations of pesticide misuse in Ladera Ranch.
If you have photos, videos or other evidence of possible O'Connell notice, posting or application violations that you have not already sent in, you can send them to Jose directly or email us for help at laderahealthwatch@gmail.com. This is a good time to make sure anything relevant gets into the appropriate hands while the investigations are active.
6. We now have a draft Ladera IPM policy.
We have developed a draft Integrated Pest Management policy designed to move Ladera toward an organic-first, least-toxic landscape program. It is circulating this week among several organic/IPM experts for review before we finalize our recommendations.
LARMAC has also confirmed that Lifeline and Atrimmec are the two products currently paused.
We are still looking for resident representatives from each of Ladera's 17 sub-associations so that the transition does not stop at LARMAC-maintained property. Please email us if you are able to help at laderahealthwatch@gmail.com.
Although a lot of our news this week is pesticide related, we are continuing work behind the scenes on independent testing for water, air and soil, cancer research, environmental records, and our legislative proposal for greater public access to California cancer data.
More soon, and thank you as always for continuing to support this work.
Jackie
Ladera Health Watch
