Possible Hazardous Situations," provides some information 
about the possible hazards of recombinant research but is not 
the detailed discussion of impacts required by NEPA- This section 
describes in a theoretical way the effects that foreign genetic 
"'^tsrial may have on the host cell, or organisms the host cell 
comes in contact with, but does not describe specific adverse 
consequences. For example, this section states that foreign 
genetic material might improve or impair the survival ability 
of the host, but does not describe the kind of disease or environ- 
mental damage which might be caused by increasing the survival 
cibility of micro-organisms which are commonly used as host in 
recombinant research. 
The Final EIS should discuss in detail the biohazards 
which NIH foresaw and sought to guard against in promulgating 
the Guidelines. NIH considers some experiments so dangerous 
that they should not be conducted at all. The prohibited experi- 
ments are: 1) experiments with certain pathogenic organisms 
or oncogenic viruses; 2) deliberate creation of recombinant 
DNA containing genes for the biosynthesis of toxins; 3) experiments 
which increase the virulence or range of plant pathogens; 4) 
deliberate release of organisms with recombinant DNA into the 
environment; and 5) experiments which pass antibiotic resistence 
to non-resistent microorganisms. The danger of each of these 
experiments to humans and the environment should be fully explained. 
11 
Appendix K — 137 
