Lawmaker Calls for House Hearing on Telecom Lead Cables
Rep. Pat Ryan of New York calls for “swift and effective” action Rep. Pat Ryan, a New York Democrat, speaking at a recent House hearing. Photo: Michael Brochstein/Zuma Press By Shalini Ramachandran July 28, 2023 11:36 am ET A House lawmaker requested a congressional hearing about lead-sheathed cables that telecom companies have left behind across the U.S. In a letter addressed to the chairs of the House Energy and Commerce and the House Transportation and Infrastructure committees, Rep. Pat Ryan, a New York Democrat, asked that the chief executives of major telecom companies answer questions about, among other things, the location of lead cables and plans for mitigating any risk. A Wall Street Journal investigation recently revealed that AT&T,
Rep. Pat Ryan, a New York Democrat, speaking at a recent House hearing.
Photo: Michael Brochstein/Zuma Press
A House lawmaker requested a congressional hearing about lead-sheathed cables that telecom companies have left behind across the U.S.
In a letter addressed to the chairs of the House Energy and Commerce and the House Transportation and Infrastructure committees, Rep. Pat Ryan, a New York Democrat, asked that the chief executives of major telecom companies answer questions about, among other things, the location of lead cables and plans for mitigating any risk.
A Wall Street Journal investigation recently revealed that AT&T, Verizon and other telecom companies have left behind more than 2,000 toxic lead cables on poles, under waterways and in the soil across the U.S. Journal testing near such cables showed that dozens of spots registered lead levels exceeding EPA safety guidelines.
“These mostly obsolete and, in many cases, abandoned, cables have been leaching lead into unsuspecting communities, placing children and families at risk,” Ryan said in the letter. Ryan is a member of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee and the Water Resources and Environment Subcommittee, which has jurisdiction over the Environmental Protection Agency.
In response to the Journal’s reporting, AT&T, Verizon and USTelecom, an industry group, have said they don’t believe cables in their ownership are a public-health hazard or a major contributor to environmental lead. The companies said they are cooperating with the EPA, and USTelecom said it is engaging with policy makers “on this important matter to share relevant information as it becomes available.”
Rep. Cathy McMorris-Rodgers of Washington and Rep. Sam Graves of Missouri, Republican chairs of the two House committees that received the letters, didn’t immediately respond to requests for comment. USTelecom, AT&T and Verizon didn’t immediately respond to requests for comment.
Ryan said it is crucial for the telecom CEOs to explain “where these lead cables are, when they knew about the potential for lead exposure, how these companies plan on addressing the environmental and public health issues posed by these cables, and the plan for remediation of these lead contaminated areas.”
Ryan noted that the Justice Department and EPA are investigating the lead cables, which the Journal reported Wednesday, and called for “swift and effective” action.
Write to Shalini Ramachandran at [email protected]
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