AT&T agrees to get the lead cables out of Lake Tahoe

LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - From Baldwin Beach to Rubicon Bay and inside Emerald Bay there are approximately six miles of submerged century-old cables containing about 107,000 pounds of lead in Lake Tahoe. They are just feet away from iconic Emerald Bay, beautiful beaches and tall trees, and underneath the turquoise blue water Lake Tahoe is known for.

Twelve years ago divers from another project discovered the copper cables and found they'd been placed on the sandy bottom of the lake by the Pacific Bell Telephone Company a century ago. After several mergers, AT&T of California acquired Pacific Bell. Three years ago, the California Sportfishing Protection Alliance (CSPA), a nonprofit advocacy group based in Groveland, Calif., sued AT&T to have them removed after their discovery.

Today, CSPA announced AT&T of California, has agreed to remove its abandoned telecommunications cables that have been leaching toxic lead into the waters of Lake Tahoe for decades.

“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 for CSPA.

Shutes said AT&T will be responsible for removing the cables, and the process could start as soon as this Fall. The court is required to wait 45 days before giving final approval for the removal to begin, so things, including weather, could get in the way of completion in 2024.

"Their commitment is to try to have the cables out by November 30, 2024, and no later than May 26, 2025 (Memorial Day next year)," said Shutes.

CSPA’s advocacy and litigation efforts weren't alone in their desire to get the lead out. Also working on the lead cable removal was a grassroots effort by the Tahoe Lead Removal Project. This group was holding public outreach events to obtain the required permits from seven separate entities overseeing the area and finance an extraction that was estimated to cost upwards of $2 million. AT&T will now cover that expense. The League to Save Lake Tahoe said the work will be done by licensed professional operators based on qualifications and availability.

"This action directly aligns with our mission to get the lead out, and we are thrilled that AT&T is making this commitment once more," said Evan Dreyer, founder of the Tahoe Lead Removal Project. "Based on the quotes in the various news articles, it's apparent that their senior leadership is engaged and focused on achieving this outcome by November."

"Our work will only end once the cables are physically removed from Lake Tahoe," added Dreyer. "We will remain engaged and supportive of efforts to achieve this outcome. AT&T has our support and gratitude, especially given the proposed timing this November or Spring 2025 at the latest.

After conditionally settling in 2022, AT&T reinitiated litigation to determine the merits of CSPA’s claims. The lawsuit alleges AT&T’s cables discharged lead violating California’s voter-approved Proposition 65, (The Safe Drinking Water and Toxics Enforcement Act of 1986), and those discharges presented an imminent and substantial endangerment to human health and the environment, in violation of the federal Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA). The cables are comprised of paper-wrapped copper wires, inside a thick lead conduit, wrapped in spiral-wound steel rods and covered with a bitumen/tar-impregnated fiber coating.

Each foot of the lead-clad cables contains approximately 3.39 pounds of lead. There are approximately 6 miles of submerged cables. As a result of this settlement, AT&T will remove about 107,000 pounds of lead from Lake Tahoe.

CSPA’s investigation revealed the abandoned cables were discharging lead. Due to wind-caused currents, anchor strikes, and deterioration over time, the cables have become damaged and degraded, exposing the lead conduit in numerous locations.

CSPA-supported scientific investigations confirmed elevated levels of lead in water and sediment adjacent to the cables. The investigations found lead in algae, which forms the base of the food web for the fisheries at Lake Tahoe. CSPA also found lead in clams and crawdads collected at the cables.

“Designated as an Outstanding National Resource Water, Lake Tahoe has no major pollution sources of lead or other metals entering the lake. So, our expectations were to see minimal to low concentrations of lead in this exceptionally clean and clear lake. The team conducted a structured scientific collection and laboratory analyses of water, sediment and microscopic plants and bacteria called biofilms (a.k.a. algae). One sample of biofilm on the cables showed lead at 67,000 times more concentrated than a reference biofilm sample taken from a rock. These biofilms are a food source for fish, and the lead can be biomagnified as it travels up the food chain,” said Sudeep Chandra, PhD, Professor of Limnology, Director of Global Water Center, University of Nevada, Reno.

Lake Tahoe, known for its breathtaking beauty, clear waters, and ecological significance, has been burdened by these lead-leaching cables. “CSPA remains dedicated to Lake Tahoe as one of nation’s most iconic waterbodies. We are proud to have fought for the removal of this toxic waste from Lake Tahoe, and we are happy that AT&T decided to finally step up,” stated Shutes.

CSPA was represented by the Aqua Terra Aeris Law Group (through Matthew C. Maclear and Erica A. Maharg), Klamath Environmental Law Center (through William “Bill” Verick), Law Offices of Andrew L. Packard, Law Office of Dr. John Kirk Boyd, Law Office of Brian Acree and the Law Office of William Carlon.

CSPA’s investigation resulted, in part, from the generous funding of therootcauseproject.org, spearheaded by Founder, Roland Peralta. Local divers, Kris Kierce and Scott Fontecchio from Lake Tahoe Diving & Environmental, performed the sampling.