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Federal Register / Vol. 50. No. 141 / Tuesday. July 23. 1985 / Notices 
National Institutes of Health 
Recombinant DNA Research; 
Availability of Analysis of Public 
Comments 
agency; National Institutes of Health. 
PHS, DHHS. 
action: Notice. 
summary: A previous Federal Register 
notice (50 FR 14794-14796, April 15. 
1985) announced the availability for 
public comment of the Environmental 
Assessment and Finding of No 
Significant Impact (EA-FONSI) dated 
January 21, 1985, “concerning the 
application to the National Institutes of 
Health (NIH), under the NTH Guidelines 
for Research Involving Recombinant 
DNA Molecules, of Drs. Steven Lindow 
and Nickolas Panopoulos of the 
University of California, Berkeley, to 
field test ice-nucleation-minus bacteria 
prepared by recombinant DNA 
techniques for purposes of biological 
control of frost damage to plants.” In 
addition, the April 15, 1985, notice 
requested “comments on the need for a 
programmatic Environmental Impact 
Statement in connection with NTH 
approvals of proposals to release into 
the environment organisms containing 
recombinant DNA molecules." In 
response to the April 15, 1985, notice, 
fifteen letters were received. These 
letters were analyzed in a June 19, 1985, 
memorandum from Dr. Bernard Talbot, 
Deputy Director, National Institute of 
Allergy and Infectious Diseases, to Dr. 
James Wyngaarden, Director, NIH. This 
notice announces the availability of that 
June 19. 1985. memorandum, which is 
described below. 
ADDRESS: The June 19. 1985. 
memorandum is available upon a 
request to the NIH Office of 
Recombinant DNA Activities (ORDA). 
Building 31, Room 3B10, National 
Institutes of Health. Bethesda, Maryland 
20205. 
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 
Dr. William J. Gartland, ORDA. Building 
31. Room 3B10, National Institutes of 
Health, Bethesda. Maryland 20205, (301) 
496-6051. 
supplementary information: The June 
19. 1985. memorandum, mentioned 
above, analyzes the letters received 
using the following structure: 
Analysis of Comments on January 21. 
1985, EA-FONSI 
Comments Praising the EA-FONSI 
Comments Criticizing the EA-FONSI 
Additional Comments and Response 
to Comments on EA-FONSI 
Analysis of Comments oh Need for 
Programmatic EIS 
Comments Indicating a Programmatic 
EIS is Not Required 
Comment Indicating the Need for a 
Programmatic EIS “Is Unlikely to Be 
Resolved in the Near Future" 
Comment Indicating a Programmatic 
EIS is Required 
Response to Comments on 
Requirement for Programmatic EIS 
Comments and Response to Comments 
on Adequacy of April 15. 1985. 
Federal Register Notice. 
Based on the analysis of the 
comments, thirteen recommendations 
were made. On July 2, 1985, Dr. James 
Wyngaarden, Director, NIH. concurred 
with each of the thirteen 
recommendations. Among the 
recommendations are: Specific changes 
to be made in the January 21. 1985, EA- 
FONSI which provide further 
clarification of the safety of the 
proposed field test: a reaffirmation of 
the adequacy of the EA-FONSI: a 
reaffirmation of the Finding of No 
Significant Impact: and a finding that a 
programmatic Environmental Impact 
Statement is not needed at this time. 
Three attachments to the June 19. 
1985, memorandum are: a copy of the 
January 21, 1985. EA-FONSI: a copy of 
the April 15. 1985, Federal Register 
notice: and copies of the public 
comments received. 
Dated: July IS. 1985. 
|ames B. Wyngaarden, M.D„ 
Director. National Institutes of Health. 
1FR Doc. 85-17397 Filed 7-22-85; 8:45 ani| 
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