A new report by The Wall Street Journal reveals AT&T, Verizon and other telecom companies for decades covered up the dangers of their lead-containing phone cables to workers and the environment. But the companies failed to take action to mitigate or monitor the risks posed by sprawling networks of cables, despite internal reports showing dangerously high levels of lead found in the blood of workers. At least 2,000 — though likely many more — lead-covered cables remain under water, in soil and in overhead poles throughout the U.S.

In related news, the EPA is proposing stricter limits on lead dust from homes and child care facilities built before 1978, as an official asserted, “There is no safe level of lead.” The new rule would deem any quantity of dust in floors and window sills from lead-based paint as “hazardous” and requiring abatement. Babies and young children are the most vulnerable to lead exposure, which can cause damage to the brain and nervous system.