-5- 
with the NIH Biohazards Safety Officer and the NSF would want to 
continue using his expertise on an informal basis. 
Dr. Herman then supplied the following figures describing the magnitude 
of the recombinant DNA effort currently being supported by NSF: of the 
113 proposals submitted, 52 have been awarded and 20 more are pending; 
of the 52 awarded, 46 require PI or P2 levels of containment and 6 require 
P3; of the 52 awarded, 25 are using phage and bacteria DNA while the 
others are using plant, amphibian, and insect sources. The total amount 
of the 52 awarded projects is $3.3 million, but recombinant DNA 
activities may comprise only a portion of each project. The actual 
expenditures on recombinant DNA activity, therefore, is thought to 
consume only a fraction of this total. 
II. Reports from Regulatory Departments and Agencies 
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) 
Pope Lawrence spoke first for EPA, noting that EPA had received 
comments concerning the potential hazards of recombinant DNA. 
He stated that the opinions given by him and Mr. McGarity were 
for the edification of the Committee and were not necessarily 
final EPA policy. 
Thomas McGarity of EPA's Office of General Counsel reviewed 
EPA authorities which might have an impact upon recombinant DNA. 
The Clean Air Act and the Water Pollution Control Act, he explained, 
authorize EPA to set emissions and effluents standards. He believed 
that these Acts were not aimed at the small amounts of emissions 
or effluents involved in research work. (The Guidelines address 
the issue of physical containment.) 
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