Egypt’s worsening energy problems and the demands of heavy industry are no reason to embrace coal, the environment minister says, warning of long-term damage to the economy and to public health.

Industry and Investment Minister Mounir Fakhry Abdel Nour said that companies could use coal as early as September provided they abide by strict environmental regulations. But Environmental Affairs Minister Laila Iskander said energy woes and the demands of heavy industry could not justify the burning of coal, a notoriously pollutive fuel that she said would not be subject to adequate oversight given Egypt’s lax regulations.

“We don’t have the systems, the laws, the infrastructure or the general climate of compliance,” she said in an interview with Reuters as a debate over the possible use of coal raged in government circles. “Maybe in another life.”

Egypt is already one of the most polluted countries in the world. Cairo ranks as among the most polluted cities, along with Beijing and other congested capitals like Lima.

Even though Nour appeared to be speaking prematurely, some foreign cement companies are proceeding as though they have a green light to use the fuel as an alternative to gas and diesel, which are in short supply in Egypt.

Two factories have already begun changing their infrastructure to accommodate coal use, violating a law requiring companies to first submit to an environmental impact assessment, Iskandar said. She scoffed at what she sees as the token caveat – the promise to adhere to environmental standards – from fellow minister Nour and industry executives.