Wealthy California HOA gives ridiculous excuse for spraying deadly chemicals killing kids in rare cancer cluster catastrophe

Residents in a wealthy Southern California community are demanding that its homeowners association stop spraying pesticides as families mourn young people who have died from rare cancers — but the HOA says ditching conventional chemicals for organic landscaping would cost too much.“No one should have to wonder whether what they’re breathing, drinking, or touching is harmful.This is about precaution, not causation,” John Gresko, a Ladera Ranch resident, father of five and founder of Protect Ladera, told The California Post.The line came during a fiery Ladera Ranch Maintenance Corporation meeting on Wednesday, where at least 10 residents spoke about pesticide use.

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By clicking above you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.Never miss a story One of those speakers was Margaret Novak, a Santa Margarita Water District board member who spoke in support of traditional pesticides and cited the need for them to keep Ladera Ranch’s landscaping looking pretty.A mother in attendance who had lost her son to cancer earlier this year was visibly shaken and began crying during Novak’s speech.Other attendees later called Novak a “plant.”That emotional clash captured the anger consuming the community.There is no official confirmation that pesticides caused the cancers, and government health officials and community leaders have not established a connection.But the deaths of several young people from rare cancers have fueled residents’ fears about what is being sprayed around their homes — while the HOA overseeing their meticulously maintained neighborhoods warns that going fully organic could come with a hefty price tag.Families have publicly shared the names of young people who lost their battles with aggressive bone and tissue cancers: Ryan Regan, who died in October 2025; Lily Dalton, 23, who died in ...