HR 1505: Do You Want Homeland Security Taking Control of Sea Shores and Coastal Areas?

A new bill in the House of Representatives sponsored by Rob Bishop (R-UT) will expand the power of the Department of Homeland Security in coastal states. This directly from the bill, "To prohibit the Secretaries of the Interior and Agriculture from taking action on public lands which impede border security on such lands, and for other purposes." So much for states rights being defended by the GOP.

HR Bill 1505, the “National Security and Federal Lands Protection Act,” would force the Secretary of the Interior to cede authority of coastal public lands, as well as lands located along the borders of Canada and Mexico, to the Secretary of Homeland Security when the latter sees fit. It would give the Dept. of Homeland Security the ability to construct roads and fences, deploy patrol vehicles and set up “monitoring equipment” in the National Seashore with impunity. And it would waive the need for the Dept. of Homeland Security to comply with environmental laws in areas within 100 miles of a coastline or international border.

The laws from which the Dept. of Homeland Security would be exempt include the National Environmental Policy Act, the Endangered Species Act, the National Historic Preservation Act, the Clean Air Act, the Coastal Zone Management Act, the Federal Water Pollution Control Act, the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, the Safe Drinking Water Act and virtually every other piece of environmental legislation passed by Congress.

In other words, Janet Napolitano will be able to do whatever she wants on these lands. One has to wonder how this will affect public use. Naked body scans at the beach anyone?