A remnant of an old telecommunications system, the lead cables were forgotten for decades. Lake Tahoe is one of the most protected bodies of water in the country — and yet, for decades, 8 miles of lead-clad cables have been abandoned underwater, where they remain today.
Those lead cables have no place in Lake Tahoe, say environmental watchdogs.
Now, after a protracted legal battle, a telecommunications giant agreed to pull the lead cables out of Lake Tahoe as soon as this fall, with an expedient path to do so in the works.
AT&T said it will remove the lead cables from Lake Tahoe as part of a court settlement reached on Sept. 18. The settlement ends a yearslong legal battle with environmental nonprofit California Sportfishing Protection Alliance.
“This is a monumental win for the environment, the communities who drink Lake Tahoe water, the people with lake-dependent livelihoods, and the millions of annual visitors,” said Chris Shutes, executive director of California Sportfishing Protection Alliance, in a statement last week.
One cable is situated across the mouth of Emerald Bay. The second cable is located along the west shore, running toward Rubicon Bay. Both are remnants of a bygone era of telecommunications infrastructure that is no longer in use. Each cable contains a layer of lead that is encased by an outer layer of steel; however, parts of the cables have been frayed and torn, exposing lead to Tahoe’s waters.