Telecom companies AT&T, Verizon and others have left behind a massive network of cables covered in toxic lead that stretches across the U.S., under the water, in the soil and on poles overhead.
As this lead degrades, it is ending up in places where Americans live, work and play.
The lead can be found 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.
The United States has spent decades eradicating lead from well-known sources such as paint, gasoline and pipes, but these relics of the old Bell System’s regional telephone network, and their impact on the environment are creating new concerns.
