AT&T Finally Gets The Lead Out of Lake Tahoe

A four-year saga appears to be coming to a close, and Lake Tahoe is emerging as the ultimate victor. After finalizing a settlement, AT&T is removing the inactive lead telecommunication cables from “The Jewel of the Sierras.”  

By the end of this month, thanks to an agreement reached between California Sportfishing Protection Alliance (CSPA) and AT&T, the decommissioned communications cables will be removed. Their hired contractors have begun this important work and have made notable progress. While Twain might tutt at the Tahoe of Today , this long-awaited clean up would have likely earned his approval.

“It’s a huge win,” said Tahoe Lead Removal project leader Evan Dreyer. “We are filled with a deep gratitude for the broad range of stakeholders that have come together to make removal a reality. After so many twists and turns along the way, it’s inspiring to see this tangible action taken to forever safeguard the waters. Last week we had the opportunity to go on-site to witness a portion of the removal efforts, and are excited to share the footage with our petition signers, prospective partners and interested partners.” Dreyer added that he is celebrating this landmark moment by praising AT&T’s collaborative efforts and allegiance to the health of the lake.

For background, the use of lead telecommunication cables ended nearly 40 years ago, but legalities surrounding who owns the cables, due to the ownership of easements, has left action and accountability in a tug-of-war and the actual removal of the cables in limbo. The removal of the toxic lead cables was on track to occur in September 2023 before AT&T claimed “sensationalized media reports” were published. A July 2023 report published by the Wall Street Journal highlighted the risks and proliferation of lead cables in the waters of Lake Tahoe and across the country. In May 2024, Moonshine Ink reported “AT&T backtracks on removing lead cables amid legal fight.”

Photos circulated social media late last weekend when large and faded red barges were spotted trudging across the basin’s waters. The Safari Rose, an 85-foot, 80-ton boat acts as a curtain cloaking the barges from immediate view as they unload and shuffle the cumbersome and tangled telecom mess at Tahoe Keys Marina.

“They have been very safety-minded,” Todd Medeiros, a local community member working on the Safari Rose, told the Globe. “The lengthy process started about a month ago when the barges were assembled and dispatched to retrieve the cables.”

“They’re cutting it into 20’ sections, crane it off the barges, and then move the cables into [gray] shipping containers,” Medeiros added, and the piles of cables laying on a plastic sheet adjacent to the Rose would be gone in a matter of hours.

“They pulled the barge into the cove, lowered the poles to hold it in place, and then made a bunch of noise. I could hear the guys yelling directions to each other. It was really quick and they took off,” said Peri Partington-Judge who witnessed the operation underway during a hike along the Rubicon trail.

“There are three barges currently: one large barge that pulls and monitors the cable, two smaller barges that they put the cable on to cut and transport batches of cable back to the Tahoe Keys,” Kristopher Kierce told the Globe.

Kierce is the owner of the Lake Tahoe Diving & Environmental (LTDE) and was  contacted by Aqua Terra Aeris (ATA) law group, who represent CSPA, to survey and later sample the cables. Kierce provided samples of the water, soil, biologics and biofilm collected over ten days. The samples were reportedly assessed by experts hired by ATA law group. Kierce has also been enlisted to advise JF Brennan, a marine construction firm that specializes in environmental remediation, dam construction, commercial dive, harbor management, and submarine cable services.

“JF Brennan contacted me about two to three weeks ago, sent me a subcontractor packet, and we have had several meetings on this project,” said Kierce. Kierce added he has plans to mobilize a fourth barge with an excavator to dig out cables in areas JF Brennan cannot reach.

“[The crew is] capping the end and putting a buoy on it during the times of transport. It’s very well protected it’s not just a lead cable out there, there’s covering,” Kierce described a multi-layer coil of materials and filament composed of oil, petroleum, stainless steel wires with foil, lead filler, and stranded copper wire at the center. 

At present, the involved parties estimate that approximately 50 percent of the cables have been removed with less than three weeks left til the November 30 deadline.