2 
there la no system of regulation for industry. Universities aire under what in 
essence are mandatory controls (they can lose funding for failure to comply), 
but commerc/al institutions are covered under a voluntary compliance program. In 
the long run, it is not wise to have unenforceable recommendations for industrial 
scale genetic engineering.” (Hy note: or for ANY genetic engineering!) 
"The present regulatory structure for the university is appropriate. However, I 
think it would be a mistake to eliminate the guidelines and make them voluntary, 
as some have recently proposed. Several states and municipalities have passed 
laws that require the private sector to adhere structly to the NIH rules for gene 
splicing. For consistency, these laws cover both academic and commerical activities. 
There is no evidence that these laws have obstructed university research," 
" I believe that industrial genetic engineering 5 hould be watched carefully by some 
independent body which can issue reconmendations to the appropriate regulatory 
agencies. The federal government should help states develop a set of enforceable 
standards (perhaps under authority of the Resource ConservatioonRecovery Act and the 
Occupational Safety and Health Act) to minimise expoxure of workers, the public, 
and the environment to indxistrial organisms. Ve should approach health and safety 
for this new technology in a preventive fashion - not because we know what the 
alternatives are, but because we don’t know what they are. It would be truly 
gratifying to look back after thirty years of industrial gene splicing and applaud 
a remarkable safety record.” 
And as the Harvard Medical School Health Letter of August, 1981 expressed itt 
"But even when the guidelines (my note: the strict ones now in force) are given 
the fords of law, communities in which DNA work is going on remain edgy. People 
are demanding to know whether they should still fear the possible genetic 
mishaps that scientists themselves had qualms about only a few years ago. 
Recombinant DNA remains a controversiad problem.” 
Very truly yourp 
Jean P. Patterson 
