“The fact that telecommunications companies knew that there were lead-covered cables left abandoned in communities, and did not proactively work to mitigate the impacts of the cables is unacceptable,” Ryan wrote in the letter, stating that the companies need to “clean up their mess” in an accompanying statement.
“The scientific literature and reliable studies in the US and abroad give no reason to believe that these cables pose a public health issue or a risk to workers when appropriate safety measures are in place,” the company said. USTelecom has said that it has “not seen, nor have regulators identified, evidence that legacy lead-sheathed telecom cables are a leading cause of lead exposure or the cause of a public health issue.” Verizon did not respond to requests for comment.