President Cheney Quietly Maneuvers Increased Control Over Environmental Policies.

Not surprised..

Thinkprogress:

The White House’s Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA) is a “super-powerful office” that reviews all major federal regulations of “non-independent federal agencies” on a range of issues, from workplace safety to water quality. OIRA and agency representatives regularly often meet with “outside stakeholders” to solicit opinions on regulations.

Vice President Cheney’s office has recently taken an interest in these meetings. In June, ThinkProgress noted that lobbyists for major polluters visited the White House to lobby against tighter smog standards. At that time, Clean Air Watch observed how unusual it was for a representative from Cheney’s office to attend that meeting:

Also sitting in on that meeting was a representative of Vice President Dick Cheney, long considered the go-to guy for big industries opposed to tougher environmental standards. … It’s pretty rare for someone with the Vice President to sit in on a meeting like this. It suggests that industry has really sought to elevate this politically.