The Lead Cable Crisis: America's Toxic Legacy
A Wall Street Journal investigation has revealed that telecom companies in the US have left behind over 2,000 cables containing lead, which are contaminating soil and water across the country. Bayou Teche in Louisiana serves as an example of this issue, with old phone cables holding copper wires wrapped in lead and covered by steel cords, left behind by phone companies after the adoption of newer technologies. The decaying network installed under the old Bell System is contributing to lead contamination in the surrounding areas.