October 10, 1979 
Dr. Donald Fredrickson 
Director 
National Institutes of Health 
Bethesda, MD 20014 
Dear Dr. Fredrickson: 
Richard Hartzman of Friends of the Earth has forwarded me a 
copy of his September 21, 1979, letter to you regarding the need 
for preparation of an Environmental Impact Statement supporting 
the Recombinant DNA Advisory Committee's decision to exempt exper- 
iments from the guidelines. Mr. Hartzman raises some significant 
questions concerning NIH's compliance with the requirements of the 
National Environmental Policy Act. 
Because of the sweeping nature of the approved exemptions and 
the seriousness of Mr. Hartzman 's requests, we would appreciate 
receiving a copy of your reply to Mr. Hartzman 's letter. We would 
expect this reply to provide your legal rationale for your decision 
not to prepare an impact statement prior to your potential accep- 
tance of the Recombinant DNA Advisory Committee's action. We 
intend to follow this situation closely. 
Environmental Defense Fund, 1525 18th Street NW, Washington, DC 20036 (202) 833-1484 
OFFICES IN: NEW YORK. NY (NATIONAL HEADQUARTERS): WASHINGTON DC: BERKELEY. CA: DENVER CO 
Sincerely 
Leslie Dach 
Science Associate 
LD: cs 
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