AT&T has reportedly removed its legacy lead cabling from Lake Tahoe.

As reported by SFGate earlier this week, the carrier confirmed to the publication it had completed the removal of close to eight miles of lead cabling.

AT&T had agreed to remove the cabling in September as part of a settlement it reached in court with the California Sportfishing Protection Alliance (CSPA), which has been pushing the case since 2021.

Court documents revealed that AT&T agreed to remove about 107,000 pounds of lead from Lake Tahoe.

It's not known how long the cables had been in place, though US carriers haven't used cabling containing lead since 1964.

The use of lead within US telecom cabling dates back to the 1880s, initially starting as a way to sheath and protect copper wires from exposure to the elements because lead is very stable and does not rust. Old cabling is typically left in place when traditional cabling is replaced with fiber.

AT&T previously agreed to remove the cables in 2021, before pausing the process to allow for further analysis to be carried out by experts.

“This is a hugely important milestone for the lake and movement to keep Tahoe blue,” said Laura Patten, natural resource director for the League to Save Lake Tahoe to SFGate. “I’m emotional. I’ve been working on this project for years. The league has been working on this project for years and the community all shared in this goal to get the cables out.”

Save Lake Tahoe is the environmental watchdog for the Lake, which is along the state line of California and Nevada along the Sierra Nevada. It spans 496.2 sq km.

Patten told the publication that the removal took less than three weeks to complete, with workers involved in 12-hour shifts, seven days a week. 

Despite high winds and some weather delays, Patten confirmed AT&T finished the removal of the lead cabling on November 17.

Patten noted that a large barge worked alongside a smaller boat, while scuba divers worked under the water, alongside a remote-controlled underwater vehicle, as a crew on deck operated a winch to pull the cables up and out of the water.

The crew members cut the cables into smaller pieces on the barge.

“We’re just really grateful to AT&T for doing right by Lake Tahoe,” Patten said. “Although there were some speed bumps along the way, the important thing is that AT&T followed through on their commitment to Lake Tahoe, and the cables are out of the lake.”

DCD has contacted AT&T for further comment on the removal.

Last year, a Wall Street Journal investigation found that AT&T, Verizon, and other US telecom companies had contaminated US water and soil with toxic lead cabling.

The investigation collected samples from various parts of the country where the lead could be found, including on the banks of the Mississippi River in Louisiana, the Detroit River in Michigan, the Willamette River in Oregon, and the Passaic River in New Jersey.

In total, the test samples from nearly 130 underwater-cable sites, conducted by several independent laboratories, were found to be toxic.