of these chemicals have known adverse health and environmental 
effects. 
An additional effect of this alternative is to retard scientific 
progress. Agracetus has developed a genetically engineered 
tobacco plant as a precursor for more sophisticated genetically 
engineered plants which may have significant benefit to 
agriculture. Withholding approval of this proposal will delay the 
realization of these possible benefits as well as impede the 
advance of science. 
5.6 Summary and Conclusions 
The NIH concludes that no significant environmental effects will result 
from conduct of the proposed field test described in Section 4.1. Any 
ecological effects which could possibly be attributed to this field test 
should be limited to the small 70' x 80' test plot during the time period the 
test is underway. Due to the non-pathogenicity of the T-DNA sequence, 
the inherent risk is minimal. Safety factors have been added to the test 
design to minimize the possibility of adverse ecological effects. One 
safety factor is the small test plot size (0.05 acres) and its isolation (over 
10 miles) from the nearest conventional tobacco plot. Another safety 
factor is that, except for five plants, test personnel will harvest all plants 
prior to flowering. The remaining five plants will be bagged prior to 
flowering to avoid pollen dispersal. This proposed field test will not have a 
signific *nt ecological effect on living creatures or their environment. 
Should unanticipated effects arise, the isolation of the test site and manner 
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