The American Farm Bureau has taken EPA to court over their release of producer’s personal and private information.  AFBF argued in federal court in Minnesota last week the release violates basic rules of federal law. Minnesota Farm Bureau President Kevin Paap says EPA should not have put out that private information to the public.

EPA gave the personal producer information to environmental organizations that had requested it under the freedom of information act.  Farm Bureau filed the lawsuit to block EPA from responding to new FOIA requests seeking information about farmers and ranchers. Paap says once private information goes to agencies it needs to stay there and not be made public.

Farm Bureau’s attorneys are asking the federal court to put in a permanent order preventing future disclosures of farmers and ranchers personal information in response to similar requests.