Lake Tahoe is no place for lead

A burden of the past

Decades ago, Bell Systems laid 6+ miles of telecommunication cables through the south west corner of Lake Tahoe. At the time, this was likely viewed as a clever way to avoid cutting down trees around Emerald Bay. These underwater cables were probably viewed as revolutionary technology. Yet, in moving from land lines into the age of cellular phones they obviously became irrelevant.

The issue? Instead of removing the lead cables when they were decommissioned and no longer of use, they were left to rot at the bottom of Lake Tahoe. Or at least left as a problem for someone else to deal with.

Over the past few years, these lead cables have been subject to legal disagreements between a range of parties and thrust into the national spotlight as they are among many from a bygone era.

While the nationwide implications are undoubtedly important: that is not the focus of this project. We do not think the presence of these lead cables in Lake Tahoe should be tied to the status of any lead cables in other regions or states.

Zero tolerance for lead

The presence of lead in these cables is not in question. It has been confirmed by AT&T, local authorities, and environmental groups. What is the subject to argument and opinion? How much lead is leaching out into the water.

We agree with the EPA that there should be zero tolerance for lead in Lake Tahoe. The precise, scientific amount, that is leaching out at this moment is irrelevant to our mission. The presence of lead filled cables in Lake Tahoe poses a potential risk to the lake. Our tolerance for that risk is zero.

Decommissioned decades ago

If these cables provided critical emergency services or other uses, we may view this situation differently. But they don't. These cables haven't been used since the 1980s. AT&T seems to have unknowingly acquired them in their acquisition of Pacific Bell, who acquired them in their acquisition of Bell Systems. We can trust those statements, especially since the more important fact is that AT&T has confirmed they are no longer in use.

But who owns them?

AT&T also claimed to the United States District Court in their November 2021 consent decree that they do not own the cables. We agree.

We don't blame AT&T, and they are not a villain in this situation

Its easy to place the fault with a big corporation. The reality is that AT&T and their partners are the only ones who have taken tangible steps to remove these lead cables. They spent over a year planning and organizing removal and most importantly - obtained all approvals to do so.

While we don't agree with their rational for stopping the removal, we respect their right to act in what they perceive to be their best interest. We also appreciate their contributions to the right course of action. We're inspired by how far they took their work, and how they established precedent with all agencies that removal is not only possible but an approved course of action. We are grateful for their efforts and are taking the baton to get this done.

Project-oriented & financially transparent

While there are many threats to Lake Tahoe, our approach is not to solve all present and future environmental problems. This is a close ended effort - we are focused exclusively on the removal and appropriate disposal of these specific lead cables. At that point the project will be complete.

That philosophy extends to fundraising. While we'll approach sizing conservatively, we will also do so transparently by providing budgets to those with "skin in the game".

The path forward

Our mission is singularly focused: the removal of these lead cables. We believe in proactive action, rather than awaiting potential consequences or inaction. Any course of action that rationalizes leaving these cables in the lake is essentially supporting their indefinite erosion. While convenient for some, this is some acceptable to our local community. With collective effort, we can ensure that Lake Tahoe remains the natural marvel it has always been for generations to come.

Get even more involved

If you're interested in playing a larger role in this efforts, please don't hesitate to get in contact with us. We're actively looking for those that share our passion, and have plenty of ways for you to have an impact on this critical work.