You realise coal can be burnt and utilized in very clean ways...

You realise coal can be burnt and utilized in very clean ways now days right. Steam engines are no longer a thing and long gone are the days of old style coal power stations (except the last remaining ones in China, India and maybe Russia). New ones have very little emissions (comparatively) and they become cleaner with each new development, also coal can be processed into all manner of products today. It is a valuable resource and if implemented in the right way it could be very important in years to come, in the processing of other minerals and of course in any process involving heating a liquid (or gas). The lead I cant comment on, honestly asbestos is horrible stuff but again if processed and utilized in the correct fashion its one of the worlds best insulators, who knows what could happen with it with the correct controls. Uranium and other radioactive isotopes are all just as bad as coal and asbestos but they always seem to get a better rap than their 'older' cousins.