AT&T has announced it will resume removal of the controversial lead-clad cables in Lake Tahoe.

The company halted cable removal in 2023 upon media reports questioning the safety of the cables to both public health as well as the lake’s health. “We wanted to allow time for further analysis to answer the question once and for all,” Jim Kimberly with AT&T Corporate Communications told the Tribune.

A lawsuit filed against AT&T by the California Sportfishing Protection Alliance roughly three years ago originally sparked the removal of the telecom cables.

“In 2021, we agreed to remove these cables to avoid the distraction and expense of protracted litigation,” AT&T President-California Marc Blakeman said.

AT&T asked nine scientists and environment experts to investigate both the media claims and litigation claims. According to the company’s summarized reports of the studies, the cables do not pose any risk to human health or the environment.