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Commentators noted that this alternative is properly one for the 
entire Federal Government and not just NIH [18,20, 26]. Because the 
Environmental Impact Statement addresses the NIH Guidelines, this 
alternative relates only to the NIH role. However, the issues raised 
can apply to all Federal research agencies or departments that may 
support or conduct this research, and all have endorsed the NIH Guide- 
lines standards. Some commentators were not persuaded by the 
statement that U. S. leadership in biological research would be 
threatened by prohibition of all recombinant DNA experiments [20, 26]. 
It should be noted that recombinant DNA research has been reviewed 
by many national and international bodies, all of whom have recommen- 
ded that such research should continue under appropriate safeguards. 
Its prohibition in the United States would severely impair our research 
leadership. 
C. Development of Different Guidelines 
In the text of this section of the EIS, subsections VI-C-2 and -3 
of the Draft have been consolidated into one subsection, VI-C-2. Thus, 
subsection VI-C-4 of the Draft is now VI-C-3. 
1. Level of Physical Containment 
Several commentators expressed dissatisfaction with the NIH Guide- 
lines. For example, it was pointed out that the Guidelines do not 
explicitly require assurances that physical-containment equipment be 
properly designed, installed, and certified as to proper use, or about 
the Guidelines' risk-classification system. These comments were 
referred to the NIH Recombinant Advisory Committee, an action 
deemed appropriate because such comments related more to the 
contents of the Guidelines themselves than to the EIS. Moreover, 
the NIH Recombinant Advisory Committee was in the process of 
recommending changes in the Guidelines to the NIH Director, and 
would be able to take these additional issues into consideration. The 
basis of the current Guidelines is explained throughout Sections IV 
through VII of this EIS. 
