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One commentator noted that the Draft EIS gave little attention to 
research specifically dealing with recombinant DNA from plant sources 
and the possible environmental consequences of their escape [19]. The 
analysis of potential hazards in the EIS is given in a general way that 
is equally applicable to persons, animals, and plants. This is now 
pointed out explicitly in Section IV-C and VII-B-1 of the EIS. Specific 
requirements for work with plants are included in the Guidelines. 
Containment requirements for the insertion of plant DNA into E. coli 
host-vector systems are given in Section III-B-2 of the Guidelines, and 
containment requirements for the use of plant host-vector systems are 
given in Section III-B-4-b of the Guidelines. 
Some commentators on the Guidelines expressed reservations about 
the adequacy of either physical or biological containment [12, 25, 29]. 
Section V has been revised to explain more fully how these contain- 
ment measures operate, both individually and in combination. The exact 
requirements for each level of physical and biological containment 
were carefully considered during the development of the Guidelines, 
and are being reexamined during consideration of the revision of the 
Guidelines which is already under way. The NIH has concluded that the 
greatest level of safety can be obtained by the complementary use of both 
physical and biological containment. It is precisely because neither 
alone is infallible that the complementary use of the two, for every 
experiment, significantly decreases the likelihood that potentially 
hazardous organisms will escape and cause significant harm. 
B. Physical Containment Requirements 
With respect to physical containment safeguards, one commentator 
recommended that the EIS should specifically refer to the requirement 
in the Guidelines for an insect and rodent control program for all levels 
of physical containment [11]. Others suggested that the EIS refer to the 
requirement in the Guidelines that, at all levels of physical containment, 
liquid and solid waste contaminated with recombinant DNA material must 
be decontaminated before disposal [22, 29]. The EIS now contains the 
following statement: "Please note that Appendix D to the Guidelines (see 
Appendix D to this EIS) provides detailed supplementary information on 
physical containment. Among many other items are specifics on care 
and use of laboratory animals, requirements for an insect and rodent 
control program at all containment levels, and guidance on decontamination 
and disposal of liquid and solid waste. " 
For clarity, the text in this section has been expanded with examples 
of the types of non-recombinant DNA work which are conducted at each 
of the four levels of physical containment (P1-P4). 
