God gave Alabama coal, so EPA can't tell us not to burn it, state officials say

State officials urged Alabama residents to pray for divine intervention to block proposed environmental regulations for coal-fired plants, saying such policies violate God’s laws.

The commissioner-elect of the state’s Public Service Commission said coal was created in Alabama by God, so federal regulations limiting its use were an insult to God, reported Alabama.com.

“Who has the right to take what God's given a state?" said Chip Beeker, who on Monday joined two other commission members and an Alabama representative to the Republican National Committee to protest the proposed rules.

They called the proposed regulations, which would require Alabama to reduce carbon emissions from coal-fired plants by 27 percent, “an assault on our way of life” by President Barack Obama.

"We will not stand for what they are doing to our way of life in Alabama," said Twinkle Andress Cavanaugh, PSC president. "We will take our fight to the EPA."

She and several other GOP officials from Alabama will testify Tuesday at an EPA hearing in Atlanta.

Carbon emissions are among the biggest contributors to global warming.

[Image via Agence France-Presse]