Cal State Fullerton researchers launching preliminary soil and water testing in Ladera Ranch near the Poets Park oil well underground.

Researchers from Cal State Fullerton are launching preliminary soil and water testing in Ladera Ranch, California, to investigate potential environmental exposures from the two oil wells located underground. The preliminary testing by Cal State Fullerton researchers is a direct response to a terrifying spike in rare childhood cancer cases—specifically Ewing sarcoma—within the Ladera Ranch community. Organizers from the grassroots community group Ladera Health Watch partnered with the California State University, Fullerton research team to bypass state delays and aggressively look for environmental answers. 

FYI: Water was collected at Poets Park Ladera Ranch CA back on Aug 6th, 2026 for testing by another independent researcher.

While the planned community of Ladera Ranch was being built in the late 1990s and early 2000s, two un-productive exploratory oil wells were sealed and abandoned, but not properly they can still leak. Fears skyrocketed after a handwritten note from over 20 years ago was unearthed in state records regarding the well located beneath Citrus Lane. The note explicitly warned: "This well is not to be built over without further consideration."

Cal State Fullerton researchers launching preliminary soil and water testing in Ladera Ranch near the Poets Park oil well underground. Residents fear the old deep drilled oil wells may not have been sealed to modern containment standards, potentially leaking carcinogens like benzene, H2S gas, or radioactive materials into the surrounding area near Poets Park.

Hydrogen sulfide, or H2S, leaks like the one depicted on the show “Landman” are extremely dangerous. Exposure to high levels of the gas can be fatal. The real story behind decades old oil & gas wells I found under Ladera Ranch CA in July 2026 is danger from H2S gas and Benzene leaking near Poets Park. Hydrogen Sulfide Gas H2S Leaking From an Abandoned Oil Well Can Drop You Dead In Your Tracks Without Any Warning.

Ladera Ranch CA has two abandoned oil wells deep drilled underground that could be leaking carcinogenic benzene and deadly hydrogen sulfide H2S gas, one oil well is 8,000 feet underground near a kid's playground at Poets Park, the other is at the end of Citrus Lane and it was deep drilled down over 4,000 feet, oil well depths.

Old deep drilled Exxon Mobil oil well near/under what became Poets Park Ladera Ranch was short filled plugged at 351 feet during a re-abandonment in July 2001 due to blockage the drillers could not get past in the over 8,000 feet deep well. DOGGR directive required cement to be squeezed past the blockage on outside of casing down to bottom of oil well to protect the lower 8365 feet, report indicates they did not do this! DMB Ladera LLC kept their dirty little secret covered up for 25 years of the poorly re-capped oil wells, until now.


Sarasota Private Investigator Bill Warner, True Crime Stories, Bill Warner Investigations Sarasota Fl