Court Rules Against Farmers’ Personal Privacy

A federal district court in Minnesota dismissed a lawsuit seeking to block EPA from releasing the personal information of farmers. Last year a radical environmental group asked the EPA for the personal information of farmers who had been issued permits to operate livestock facilities. The EPA complied and released names, addresses, phone numbers, and even GPS coordinates of these operations. Outraged, the American Farm Bureau Federation and National Pork Producers Council petitioned to stop any further release of information. Late Tuesday, the court ruled the government could release this information. Don Villwock, President IFB is furious, “Farmers take their privacy and their records very seriously and only want to share with those who have a need to know or those who can help them in their business, but to release this information to a public database is deeply disturbing.” He added that activist groups with an agenda could use this information to harm a farming operation or do damage to its livestock. EPA has already released personal information of farmers and ranchers from 29 states. Villwock said farmers have nothing to hide but feel the personal details of their operations should not be a matter of public record, “I would ask the general public: would they like their personal information, their address, and other private information made public so criminals and others could find out exactly where you live?”...more