Arizona Attorney General Won’t Be “Lead” Astray by Legacy Cables

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The Arizona Attorney General’s office is investigating lead-covered cables used around the state and near federally regulated bodies of water and underground conduits. Arizona Public Media reported that 200 letters were dispatched to telecoms, including Verizon, AT&T, and CenturyLink, to gather information regarding the claim. Responses are due within a 30-day window. 

The state’s letters request the type, location, and length of cables present in the telecom companies’ inventories. According to Attorney General Kris Mayes, three types of cables are in question: submarine, buried and above ground lead cables.

“What comes next is we will catalog the lead cables that they identify for us, if they refuse to comply with a letter we will consider our options for getting that information,” Mayes said. Her office plans to assess the toxicity of cables with the help of external counsel and experts.

Mayes plans to continue her investigation outside of Arizona, probing into lead cables used in neighboring states. She highlighted that lead levels in cables exceed safety standards the EPA set for drinking water and soil, a risk to the environment, water supplies, and public health. 

Arizona Public Media reported that one example of lead cables already uncovered in Mohave County goes back to installation in 1949. “We want to figure out whether it is in the water or above the water, and if it’s in the water, is it leaching into the water,” added Mayes. 

According to a representative for USTelecom, “The U.S. telecom industry prioritizes the health, safety, and environment of its communities and workers. We will continue to follow the science, which has not identified that lead-sheathed telecom cables are a leading cause of lead exposure or the cause of a public health issue.”

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