EPA Planes Spying On Ranchers? Lawmakers Want Answers

[DeSwiss]

[font size=4]EPA planes spying on ranchers? Lawmakers want answers[/font]

MSNBC
By Miguel Llanos
May 31, 2012


[font size=1 color=gray]A Maine dairy farm's manure lagoon is seen leaking into a stream. The Environmental
Protection Agency says its overflights of farms and ranches help detect pollution
like this 2006 case.[/font]


A Nebraska cattlemen’s group is pushing the Environmental Protection Agency to stop pollution-control flights over ranches, claiming it amounts to spying on citizens. EPA, meanwhile, says the flights are an effective way to quickly spot -- and stop -- pollution from manure lagoons and other waste at large livestock operations. Nebraska's five federal lawmakers joined the fight this week, demanding to know on what authority EPA is flying over and photographing private property.

The lawmakers sent their demands to EPA chief Lisa Jackson on Tuesday, listing a battery of questions and demanding answers by June 10. EPA has been operating these flights across the country for nearly 10 years. "These operations are in many cases near homes, and landowners deserve legitimate justification given the sensitivity of the information gathered by the flyovers," Rep. Adrian Smith, R-Neb., said in a statement. "Nebraskans are rightfully skeptical of an agency which continues to unilaterally insert itself into the affairs of Rural America."

The issue was brought to the lawmakers' attention by Nebraska Cattlemen, which represents the state's beef producers. "The same ends could be accomplished by picking up a phone, sending an email, talking to a producer in person," Kristen Hassebrook, the group's environmental affairs director, told msnbc.com. "There is no need to spy on citizens."

"Another frustration," she added, "is that "EPA does not alert livestock producers that the flight will occur or has occurred."


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[font color=blue] - The gubmint needs to learn that drones are to be used for the surveillance of illegals and people like those Occupy hippies up in New Yawk and Chicago -- of course. And for the killing of terrarists who hate us for our freedums. Like this one:



It is NOT FOR SPYING on us loyal Amurikans, or our cow manure lagoons!!!!![/font]
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[font color=blue]DeSwiss[/font]



[center]

[font color=darkred]''Man is the animal that intends to shoot himself out into interplanetary space, after having given up on the problem of an efficient way to get himself five miles to work and back each day.'' ~Bill Vaughan[/font][/center]

[Major Nikon]

1. Since when does the government need "authority" to do something any private citizen can do?

[DeSwiss]

3. Well, these days........

... it's rare when the government asks for permission to do anything it wants to, as far as I can see.

- On the other hand, a private citizen usually doesn't own Hellfire missiles either. Usually......

[DearAbby]

2. What citizens?

I see no persons in the photo.

[Major Nikon]

4. Corporate farms

[DeSwiss]

5. Probably caught the rancher and his wife skinny-dipping.....

...in the cow manure lagoon. They're under the water now waiting for the drone to pass over.

- Or maybe that's the real problem here. Its not the rancher's wife!

[nanabugg]

6. Looking for meth factories or pot growers??? nt

[frogmarch]

7. No sirree, farmers and ranchers in

these here parts don't take kindly to the gubmint meddlin' where they oughtn't be meddlin'. Next thing you know, G-men will be swarmin' all over Uncle Willard's place trying to confiscate the illegal chemicals he's been spraying on his wheat and sunflowers and cattle fodder before he has the chance to dump it in the crick.

[Hassin Bin Sober]

8. Why do I get the feeling these cattlemen.......

..... cop the attitude of "if you aren't doing anything wrong you have nothing to worry about"

... when it comes to OTHER government surveillance programs.

Ain't no fun when the gubmint films you fair and square breaking the law.