Ladera Ranch residents voice concerns over cluster of rare child cancer cases

LADERA RANCH, Calif. (KABC) -- Residents of Orange County's Ladera Ranch spoke out Tuesday night at a town hall meeting held to discuss the investigation and response to a cluster of extremely rare child cancers in the community, and whether the occurrence is linked to the use of herbicides and pesticides.

Many who attended the meeting said they want the use of the chemicals discontinued.

Several people shared their stories about their family members and pets suffering from cancer. After the town hall, one woman told ABC7 that her therapy dog now has cancer.

"We're very concerned about pesticides that are being sprayed all around the community," said Liesl Heizt. "There's so many times that I walk around and they're spraying, and I ask what they're spraying and they're not telling us.

"They're not putting up signs telling us what they're spraying," Heizt said. "They're not putting out notifications, and it's really frustrating."



Much of the discussion focused on which state agencies would be responsible for investigating whether the herbicides and pesticides are linked to cancer, and what steps would be needed to permanently reduce or stop their use.