Posted on 07/03/2012 2:49:31 PM PDT by radioone
Midwest farmers were outraged to hear that the Obama EPA was spying on ranches in surveilance planes. Rep. Tom Latham sent a letter to the EPA demanding answers,
“No federal agency has the right to treat the American farmer like the Taliban.”
To the Obama EPA – Iowa farmers are the enemy.
The AP reported:
Midwest ranchers have never been enamored with environmental regulators, but they really began to complain after learning that federal inspectors were flying over their land to look for problems.
The Environmental Protection Agency flies over power plants and other facilities nationwide to identify potential air, water and land pollution. It began using aerial surveillance in the Midwest in 2010 to check farms for violations of federal clean water regulations.
Ranchers who object to the program said they’re not trying to hide anything. It’s the quiet approach the EPA took with the program designed to spot illegal disposal of animal waste that they find upsetting. Most were not even aware of the flyovers until regional EPA officials mentioned it at a meeting three months ago.
“For me, it just creeps into the ‘Big Brother is watching you’ area, to where the government just feels like it’s getting more and more intrusive,” said Buck Wehrbein, who manages a cattle feeding operation in Mead, Neb., about 30 miles west of Omaha.
EPA officials explained during a meeting with ranchers in West Point, Neb., that they lease small planes that fly EPA staffers over cattle operations. The staffers take photographs as they seek evidence of illegal animal waste running off into rivers and streams.
Ranchers complained to their members of Congress, who responded angrily and then grew even more annoyed by what they considered the EPA’s sluggish response to their inquiries for information about the flights. Nebraska Sen. Mike Johanns, a Republican, introduced an amendment to a multifaceted farm bill to stop the flights, but it fell four votes short of the 60 needed. Although most backers of the amendment were Republicans, 10 Democrats supported the proposal…
…The agency conducted three flyovers in Iowa in 2010, five in 2011, and one this year. In Nebraska, there were six flights last year and three this year.
Two more flights are planned this year in each state.
having grown up in Iowa, I find this disturbing.
Farmers first- we’re next.
There’s expected to be cca 30,000 drones in US skies by the end of the decade, some no larger than a golf ball!
MADNESS
____________________________
The Only Cool Thing the EPA Ever Did...
http://reaganiterepublicanresistance.blogspot.com/2012/07/only-cool-thing-epa-ever-did.html
btw, I believe they’re called “farms”. never saw a ranch..
Laser to the optics. $300 will get you one that can burn through wood.
As I’ve mentioned in a previous thread, this has been a routine regulatory practice by government at all levels for decades.
My sister was county planner in a rural MD county and used aircraft photographs to spot unlicensed car junkyards in the woods; this was two decades ago.
All show, they will vote for whoever promises the most subsidies
It’s already past time to ban drones from flying over US territory for any reason other than testing, or to prevent a terrorist attack, the latter reason not to be taken lightly or abused. The EPA doesn’t need them, and this nation doesn’t need a federal EPA, not at all, but especially not to spy on us.
Too bad these farmers enjoy voting for democrats.
I keep hoping GOPDC will eventually become enraged and stand up to the madness. Say no more!! There is no way the executive branch was EVER meant to have this kind of power. Wake up! We are living in a dictatorship.
They have. It's called Agenda 21.
Government intrusion by an omnipotent government is why we drove the King of England from our nation.
And the EPA has also caused the shut down of many coal power plants.
I’ve been active before, maybe it’s time I got involved again....
Time to dust off your MANPADs
Framers should align themselves with the computer geeks who were able to gain control of them and bring them down. We need to hear from our elected conservative officials on REMOVING EVERYONE DOWN TO THE JANITOR
>we are powerless to do anything about him
1) read my tagline, and profile
2) consider
Surveilance of what Cows, Corn rows?
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