Unmanned Drones spying on farming practices?

I have nothing to back this up, simply heard something while flipping through talk radio and did not get the whole story and so thought I would post on here to see if any of you caught wind of this.  Supposedly the EPA now has permission to have spy drones like we use overseas check on the farming practices of American farmers!?!?!?!?!  What do you all know?

Haven't heard that, but that's crazy. Kinda hard for me to believe.  ???

That is what I thought and like I said I didn't hear the whole story and so was trying to see if anyone knew anything.  I heard it on the Mark Lavin (sp?) radio talk show. 

http://ganaderiamexico.blogspot.com/2012/02/north-dakota-predator-cows-recovered.html
Read this one interweb

I would think that they  could more efficently check land for illegal fuel storage confiurations,uncapped wells, and dump pits with drones. What does a surface to air missle run these days? steerplanet grin.

There was some mention of it on "The Five" yesterday.  Apparently it has to do with a fine levied on a Nebraska farmer for runoff from his cattle operation.  They also said Sen. Johanns is currently involved in questioning the limits/legality of EPA investigations.    One of the legal minds gave the opinion that it would almost certainly exceed the limitations of the illegal search and seizure laws.  Could evolve into another interesting debate of constitutional law---there seems to be a new one each week under this administration.  I still wonder what all the "czars" are doing now--- I've often wondered why we don't hear anything about them anymore and what role they are playing in the actions of this administration.

Apparently, the EPA has been running routine routes across what they call Section 7(much of the midwest including IA, NE, KS, & MO) for 10 years.  They view it as a very cost effective way of monitoring the effect of feedlot runoff on water quality.  Its interesting (to me at least) that they nothing wrong with this type of surveillance!  Sounds like a pretty slippery slope to me!

http://news.yahoo.com/5-ways-unmanned-drones-could-affect-american-food-123420545.html


Lia Reich of the UAV manufacturer PrecisionHawk says the company's drones can use thermal sensors to take the temperature of cattle. The data comes back as bands of color, and "if all of the cattle look green and one looks dark purple then that one has a higher temperature," she said.
If they have a radio tag readable/transmissible by the drone, then perhaps they can be medicated as well.  Cattle can be inventoried etc.


I guess if the cowboy can do it, the government can do it for us and fine us if we don't doctor fast enough and brought up on charges of animal cruelty.