A leaked recording of a conference call of lobbyists of high-polluting companies of the energy industry in the US reveals the lobby discussing the rollback of the newly legislated Waters of the United States (WOTUS) rule.
The rollback is supposed to be a rider bill in the new budget, the focus of which will be the refugee crisis. The call reveals how the Edison Electric Institute is attempting to kill the Environmental Protection Agency's bill that, along with Clean Water Protection Act, would protect millions of acres of wetlands and streams, reports Boing Boing.
Earlier, the White House had threatened to veto the block attempted by the Congress on the WOTUS regulation, but it was passed this year.
One call participant says: "We're suddenly not the big issue. I mean, this is all going to turn on refugees."
Another participant is quoted as saying by The Intercept: "I think that helps us. I think it helps us with the White House being on defence."
The focus now, after the growing refugee crisis and the Paris attacks, is going to be on blocking the Syrian refugee resettlement. Senators of states have been threatening to block the refugee resettlement bill even though the White House is keen on it.
You can listen to the conference call here:
