Document 16 
National Academy of Sciences 
OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT 
UTION AVC NUE 
WASHINGTON, D C 20AIS 
October 18, 1976 
Dr. Donald Fredrickson 
Director 
National Institutes of Health 
Bethesda, Maryland 20014 
Dear Dr. Fredrickson: 
I am writing in response to your request for comments regard- 
ing the Draft Environmental Impact Statement on the release of 
NIH Guidelines for research involving recombinant DNA molecules. 
On September 20-21, 1976, the Assembly of Life Sciences 
Executive Committee, chaired by Dr. James Ebert, discussed the 
Environmental Impact Statement and strongly endorsed the con- 
tents of the document. The Executive Committee suggested that 
the contributions of experts in the fields of epidemiology and 
infectious disease might be of value to augment the discussion 
of the risks of recombinant DNA research. However, they 
believed that the statement as drafted stands in good relation 
to the previously published guidelines and expresses the cur- 
rent state of understanding in this area of research in a 
remarkably clear and concise manner. The Executive Committee 
believes that no substantive changes are required in the Envi- 
ronmental Impact Statement. 
Philip Handler 
President 
Appendix K — 53 
