Resklaitul Odlegp 
East Quadrangle 
The University of Michigan 
Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109 
(313)7634)176 
January 28, 1982 
Hon. Ray Thornton 
Chair, Recombinant DNA Advisory Committee 
ORDA, Building 31, Room 4A52 
National Institutes of Health 
Bethesda, MD 20205 
Dear Ray: 
I strongly oppose the current proposals to weaken 
the NIH guidelines. Over the last three years, these controls 
have been drastically downgraded, particularly with respect 
to organisms designed to make products , organisms containing 
genes which code for toxins, and large-scale, industrial 
processes. In my view, the present need is to strengthen the 
guidelines, not weaken them further. 
The conversion of the guidelines into a set of recom- 
mended practices without sanctions will be taken as a signal 
by the general public that the hazard issue has finally been 
laid to rest and by users , that safety prcautions need no 
longer be taken seriously. To encourage such misunderstandings 
to develop is irresponsible. The data on hazards of recombinant 
DNA technology is extremely poor; consequently, it is impossible 
to make any precise evaluation of the impacts on h\mans and 
on the environment from exposure to the broad range of organisms 
being developed in universities and private industry. 
If the RAC further abandons its responsibilities to 
develop a policy that addresses the uncertainties surroiinding 
hazard issues, it will become necessary for individual states 
to set their own standards , not only for private industry (which 
is not adequately covered by the NIH guidelines) but also for 
federally funded laboratories . I would much prefer to see 
the RAC carry out a full review of its policy of the last three 
years of progressively dismantling controls, and to decide to 
strengthen the guidelines , particularly in the areas I mention 
above, rather than to make state action necessary. 
^ncerely , 
Susan Wright 
Head, Science Program, and 
cc. Hon. Douglas Walgren Member, Task Force on 
Hon. Albert Gore Biotechnology, State of Michigan 
Kon . Edward Kennedy 
[ 718 ] 
