72 Jane Street 
New York NY 10014 
(212) 675-7173 
Coalition for Responsible Genetic Research 
ADVISORY COUNCIL 
John S. Bird M.D. 
Dr. Irwin Bross 
Helen Caldicott M.D.* 
Dr. Liebe Cavalieri* 
John C. Cobb M.D.* 
Dr Douglas DeNike 
Dr. Key Dismukes* 
W Jack Frumin M.D. 
Solomon Garb M.D.* 
Steven Havas M.D.* 
Dr Ruth Hubbard* 
Dr. Marvin Kalkstein* 
J.R. Kent M.D 
Dr. Jonathan King* 
Dr. Sheldon Krimsky* 
Elliot Linzer* 
Pamela Lippe* 
Joyce Milton 
Lewis Mumford* 
Dr Stuart Newman* 
Christine Oliver M.D.* 
David Ozonoff M.D.* 
Dr Barbara Rosenberg* 
David Straton M.D.* 
Dr. George Wald*, 
Nobel Laureate 
Susanna Waterman* 
Dr Joseph Weizenbaum* 
Dr. Susan Wright* 
* Executive Committee 
MEMBERSHIP: 
PARTIAL LISTING 
Walter Askinas M.D. 
David R. Brower 
Rev. Roger Burgess 
Sir MacFarlane Burnet, 
Nobel Laureate 
Stuart Chase 
Citizens Rights Committee 
Glen C. Cobb M.D 
Dr. C. David Elm 
William D. Furst M.D 
Reverend David A. Furuness 
Mariano L Galaineva M D 
W.B. Gamble Jr M.D. 
F.M. Golomb M D 
Dr Mario A. Gonzalez 
Harold J. Harris M.D 
Dr. Kenneth L Jackson 
Father Walter T Kelleher 
Hadley Kirkman M.D 
Dr. Laura Kratz 
Henry D Lauson M.D. 
Dr. Herbert Manning 
Edwin F. Matthews Jr.’ 
Edward Miller M.D. 
Robert Murphy M.D. 
Maurice L. Origenes M.D. 
Dr Aurelio Peccei 
Henry Pinkerton M.D. 
Eliot Porter 
Dr Jerome Prager 
Dr. Steven Price 
Sister Mary E Reichert 
Abby Rockefeller 
Lewis M. Schiffer M.D. 
Solomon Garb M.D. 
Membership Secretary 
Francine R Simring 
Executive Director 
ip) 
May 6, 1979 
Dr. William Gartland 
Recombinant DNA Advisory Committee 
NIH, Bldg. 31, Room 4A 52 
Bethesda, MD 20014 
Dear Dr. Gartland: 
On behalf of the Coalition for Responsible Genetic Research, I 
wish to make some general comments on the recent treatment of the 
recombinant DNA issue by the NIH and some proposals for consideration 
at the next meeting of the RAC, May 21-23, 1979. I also enclose comments 
on the proposed actions under the guidelines and on the proposed risk 
assessment program published in the Federal Register April 13 and 
April 2. 
I. General comments on recent treatment of the recombinant DNA issue 
by the NIH leadership 
We are disturbed by the cynicism and general lack of caution and 
restraint in dealing with the recombinant DNA issue that is emanating 
from the NIH leadership. We consider Dr. Setlow's comment, that the 
"RAC will not be allowed to die as a committee until it has vomitted 
enough," and Dr. Fredrickson's use of slides of critics of NIH policy 
(shown in his absence by Dr. Gartland) at the recent COGENE meeting 
in England to be not only in poor taste but also to create an atmos- 
phere in which responsible and rational consideration of the issues 
will be difficult to achieve. 
There are distinct parallels between the treatment of the recombinant 
DNA issue by the NIH and the treatment of the nuclear issue by those 
involved in promoting nuclear power. For the latter group, it appears 
that nothing less than an absolute disaster will convince them that they 
are dealing with serious risks to the health and well-being of the 
general public. With regret, we observe that the "Three Mile Island" 
syndrome also characterizes the handling of the genetic manipulation 
problem by the NIH. Safeguards are treated with cynicism; decisions 
are rushed through because of special interests in the promotion of 
the technology; data that is at best ambiguous and that could be taken 
to indicate problems are ignored or treated selectively. 
We feel that the cynicism and impatience on the part of the NIH 
leadershiptowards those who advocate caution has already had a damaging 
effect on the handling of issues by the RAC. At the first meeting of 
the expanded committee in February, a large number of decisions were 
rushed through. The time allowed for consideration of the issues 
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