Official Summary

6/19/2012--Introduced.Farmer's Privacy Act of 2012 - Prohibits the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), in exercising any authority under the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (commonly known as the Clean Water Act), from conducting aerial surveillance of agri

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Official Summary

6/19/2012--Introduced.Farmer's Privacy Act of 2012 - Prohibits the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), in exercising any authority under the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (commonly known as the Clean Water Act), from conducting aerial surveillance of agricultural land unless the Administrator has:
(1) obtained the voluntary written consent of the owner or operator of the land to be surveilled;
(2) provided between 5 and 10 days' notice to the owners or operators of land in the area to be surveilled; and
(3) obtained from the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia a certification of reasonable suspicion that a violation of the Act exists in the area to be surveilled. Requires the Administrator to ensure that such consent:
(1) specifies a period of up to one year during which the consent is effective,
(2) contains a specific description of the geographical area to be surveilled,
(3) contains limitations on the days and times during which the surveillance may be conducted if requested by such owner or operator, and
(4) is granted voluntarily. Prohibits the Administrator from threatening additional, more detailed, or more thorough inspections or coercing or enticing such owner's or operator's consent. Requires the Administrator to make available to such owners or operators images of such land obtained from such surveillance.

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