Governor Kathy Hochul of New York ordered state agencies to look into potential health dangers related to outdated lead-clad wires left behind by telecommunications providers on Thursday.
According to a recent Wall Street Journal article, telecom firms across the US, including AT&T and Verizon Communications, left deadly lead wires on poles, in the water, and buried underground, including in New York.
AT&T Responds To Lead Cable Concerns
According to Hochul, the study aims to provide a better understanding of the ownership and inventory of such cables in New York.
A complete inventory of all the lead-containing aerial and buried wire that 246 telecommunications firms operating in the state owned, both those that were in use and those that were not, was requested as part of the endeavor.
Communities all around New York are seriously at risk from cables covered in lead. According to Hochul, we will hold the telecom firms accountable and act quickly to fix any issues.
According to Verizon, it takes these worries about lead-sheathed cables very seriously.
Verizon and its forerunner businesses haven’t used lead-sheathed infrastructure in decades. Although AT&T declined to comment, it maintains that the wires don’t endanger public health.
According to AT&T CEO John Stankey in a note to staff, if there are any new scientific findings, we will work cooperatively with all stakeholders to address any new safety issues.
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Union Demands Follow-Up For AT&T’s Lead Exposure Efforts
According to the Communications Workers of America, AT&T has agreed to let workers who may have been exposed to lead at work take paid time off in order to have their levels of lead checked.
The union asserted that AT&T’s dedication to addressing our members’ exposure to lead must go beyond simple blood lead level point-in-time testing and include appropriate follow-up.
In a court filing, AT&T stated that it intended to expand an existing practice of providing testing for technicians engaged in lead-clad cable removal by making it voluntary for personnel who work with or have worked with lead-clad cables.