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AT&T has agreed to remove 8 miles of lead-covered cables from Lake Tahoe following a legal battle with an environmental group. The California Sportfishing Protection Alliance found high levels of lead in the water, sediment, and algae near the cables, which could harm the lake's ecosystem. AT&T claims that the cables do not pose a risk to human health or the environment, but the settlement is being hailed as a win for the environment and the communities that rely on Lake Tahoe. An ongoing investigation by the Environmental Protection Agency has also found elevated levels of lead at other lead-cable sites across the US. [Extracted from the article]

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has requested telecom companies to meet with them regarding their lead-sheathed phone cables. This comes after the EPA found over 100 soil and sediment readings with elevated lead levels near phone lead-cable sites in three states. The EPA's preliminary data supports their determination that investigating lead telecom cables is a high priority. The telecom companies have stated that their own tests show low lead levels and that the cables pose no significant public health risk. The EPA plans to collect more data and analyze it to determine the source of the elevated lead levels. [Extracted from the article]