5 
Cr. Marsh of Eli Lilly £uid Ocn^xmy said that Eli Lilly has forty years of 
experience in the fementation industry. He felt fermentation activities are 
not hazardous. He suggested that many other industrial processes present clear 
evidence of hazard and that NI06H must prioritize its goals to deed with 
these other/ evident hazards. Cl:. West agreed saying that while the reocm- 
binant CNA area is of interest bo NIQ6H/ it is not currently NIOSH's top priority. 
He pointed out, however/ that NI06H must evaluate the area before it can 
rate the iinportanoe of overseeing reocmbinant CN^ technology to NIOSH's 
overall missicn. 
Dr. McKinney said that currently companies submitting proposeds to the NIH 
cooperate with NIQ6H; he asked v4>ether this cooperation would continue 
should the NIH Guidelines be abolished. Cr. West replied that NI06H would 
most definitely lose a valuable resource should the Guidelines be abolished. 
Dr. Levin of the Ehvironnental Protection Agency (EPA) suggested that industry 
would also lose a resource if the NIH no longer provides a forum for discussing 
and evaluating recombinant CNA issues. Cr. Bems said that industry may 
continue to seek advice from the NIH should NIH eliminate its prohibition 
against exceeding the 10 liter limit; the companies benefit when the NIH 
approves their submissions. Dr. Bems noted that the NIH is not currently 
receiving information on physical facilities; he thought this information 
would be the most useful type of data for NI06H and OSHA. 
Dr. West said NIOSH's activity in the recombinant DNA area are inde- 
pendent of NDi's decisions. He reiterated that NIH is nonetheless a 
convenient resource to NIOSH. In addition/ NIH by its activity benefits 
industry by partially filling the information gap. 
( 185 ) 
