Last time I delt with a situation like this, the group in question was caught dumping the toxic substance they were suing over in order to create their issue. This has happened more than once. There could be several dozen non-railroad related reasons for coal in the Columbia, include the naturally occuring coal that can be found in several areas along the river, it could also be from the many steamboats that used to ride the river, and the many more that crashed, sunk or blew up. It could have been from a derailment 80 years ago, or maybe someone cleaning out the old coal bin in their basement---remember when a major portion of american homes had coal stoker furnaces in the basement. My folks kept theirs going until 1982---best furnace I ever experienced, didn't dry out the air in the house, wasn't drafty and it was quiet. Not like the eco-friendly draft maker I have in my home today that sucks every ounce of moisture out of the air and whistles when it runs.