A Federal Appeals Court has overruled a lower court decision to throw out a lawsuit brought by the American Farm Bureau Federation and National Pork Producers Council against the EPA over its release to environmental groups of personal information on tens of thousands of farmers. South Dakota Farm Bureau President Scott VanderWal says the appeals court ruling is a step in the right direction. He says the earlier information release hurt many farmers.

He says while the public has a right to know, the line has to be drawn with personal information.

VanderWal says what’s disturbing is that the damage has already occurred with the previous release of producer information to the environmental activist groups.

Both AFBF and the NPPC appealed the lower court ruling and sought a protective order to prevent release of any farm information while the appeal was pending. The District court granted the order.