(How the heck did we go from polycarbonate to coal? Oh well, here goes.)

I don't know about Central Canada, but my understanding is that all the coal in that broad region (on either side of the border) is high in sulfur, which is a big problem in terms of smog and acid rain. One deposit is always different from another, of course. And geology does not respect borders.

Coal in Western Canada (and I would assume in the States south of us) is very low in sulfur. And we have a huge amount of it, close to the surface. As with most coal, there's a little bit of mercury and arsenic to give it "flavour." There are many initiatives underway in this part of the world regarding coal gasification ("clean coal" in hype language). Billions of dollars are committed in Central Alberta alone; and much more is coming as we try to build networks to pump CO2 (and other crud) from coal and oilsands underground. This is an undertaking as large as the coal/oil industry itself; it'll be interesting to see how it turns out.