AN ACR CREW; WHILE MAKING AN ILS APCH IN VMC; AT A BUSY TIME AT IAH; FOUND THAT THERE WERE 2 SMA MAKING A PIPELINE PATROL UNDER THE ILS.

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DURING THE MIDDLE OF AN INBOUND RUSH AT A BUSY HUB-ARPT; IAH TWR ALLOWED 2 PIPELINE PATROL SMAS TO OPERATE WITHIN THE ARPT BOUNDARY. APCH HANDED US TO THE TWR FOR THE VISUAL TO RWY 27. UNABLE TO CHK IN WITH THE TWR AS SHE WAS INVOLVED TALKING TO THE 2 NON-PRIORITY SMAS. WE WERE CONFIGURED WITH FINAL FLAPS INSIDE THE OM AT 900 FT AGL WHEN LNDG CLRNC WAS RECEIVED WITH NO TA FROM TWR. THE SMA WAS DONG 360 DEG TURNS 1/4 MI S OF THE LOC AT 400 AGL. WHEN I QUESTIONED TWR ABOUT THE TFC; TWR REPLIED THAT THE SMA HAD US VISUALLY AND WAS NO FACTOR. I REPLIED THAT THE TFC WAS INDEED A FACTOR AS WE PASSED WITHIN 500 FT VERTICALLY AND 1/4 MI HORIZLY. TWR SUPVR LATER STATED THAT AS LONG AS WE BOTH HAD EACH OTHER VISUALLY 'LEGAL SEPARATION' WAS MAINTAINED AND NO INCIDENT OCCURRED. I REPLIED THAT EVEN THOUGH IT MAY HAVE BEEN 'LEGAL SEPARATION' AN UNSAFE AND VERY DISTRACTING SITUATION TOOK PLACE SECONDS FROM TOUCHDOWN. THE IRONY OF THE ENTIRE DEAL WAS THAT 5-10 MINS AFTER OUR ARR; THE INBOUND RUSH WAS OVER AND THE 2 PIPELINE PATROL SMAS COULD HAVE DONE ANYTHING THEY NEEDED TO DO WITHOUT CONFLICT. INSTEAD; THE TWR ALLOWED NON- PRIORITY TFC TO JEOPARDIZE THE SAFETY OF ACR OPS DURING A BUSY; CRITICAL PHASE OF FLT.