In more than two decades covering the telecom industry, we’ve never heard mention of an issue related to lead in cable sheathing. The WSJ cites a 2010 presentation to AT&T employees as proof that the firm has been aware of the issue, but that is not in dispute. Both the Centers for Disease Control and the National Institutes of Health websites house research conducted in the 1990s around complaints to OSHA from wire strippers who reported elevated blood lead levels, with steps to ensure worker safety. The Environmental Protection Agency has also studied cable sheathing materials, including through a partnership with the University of Massachusetts’ Toxic Use Reduction Institute. Nothing suggests telecom firms failed to follow proper procedures to protect employees when dealing with these cables, which were last deployed in the 1960s.

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