SANDPOINT — Lake Pend Oreille Waterkeeper is once again turning to science to tackle the question of coal’s impact on lake water.  

With coal trains a frequent sight in town, the water quality organization is launching a study to determine in greater detail the effects of coal on lake water. The study’s purpose is two-fold: Waterkeeper associates want to better understand the impact of both a major coal train derailment and the smaller coal contaminants that have fallen from open-air train cars.

According to LPOW executive director Shannon Williamson, the initial phase of the study confirmed coal was indeed falling from uncovered train cars. Work began in January, when volunteers took advantage of the low lake level to collect what appeared to be coal along the Lake Pend Oreille and Pend Oreille River shoreline, providing photos and GPS data as they did so. The majority of samples were found along Dog Beach, which runs parallel to the BNSF-operated tracks spanning Pend Oreille River.

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