Eye in the sky

The EPA has some 'splaining to do!

If you're not involved in agriculture you probably have no idea what the letters EPA stand for.  If you do happen to know the Environmental Protection Agency by it's full name, then you probably don't understand this blog post.  I must be some kind of crazy person if I don't believe the environment needs protecting.

We need to take care of our planet, after all it's the only one we can live on (for now), and I don't even mind that a government entity keeps an eye on the organizations whose business affects the environment.  I do have a problem with their methods.

Last week all of Nebraska's congressmen sent a letter to the director of the EPA demanding answers.  The problem: The EPA has been doing fly-over inspections of feedlots in Nebraska.  This has resulted in privacy concerns, and overall uneasiness among beef producers, and I don't blame them.

The EPA has been doing these fly-overs without authority.  There is no rule that allows this invasion of privacy. The number of head a cattle producer has is the equivalent of dollars in the bank.  So imagine my non-ag friends, that Uncle Sam is peeking into your bank account without your permission, or even the authority to do so.  Hopefully you can understand why I'm more than a little peeved.

Finally, you can't evaluate all the activities of a place from the air.  The EPA definitely has some explaining to do.  They are part of a government that is only as strong as the people they govern, so they have to answer to those people for their actions.  Without accountability, we no longer have a democracy.

'till the cows come home,
Ellie