Where I live there are signs posted saying DO NOT EAT THE FISH DUE HIGH AMOUNTS OF MERCURY, located next to every pond in the city. People still eat the fish as they catch the fish right under that sign that says do not eat the fish.
The good news is coal is going away eventually and will only live on in our virtual worlds as we run polygons and pixels around on our big screen monitors. Sad part, however, heavy metals such as lead, mercury, and arsenic take decades to work their way out of the ecosystem if they can at all. Let's face it we screwed the pooch here and we'll pay for the mess for the rest of humanity.