5A 
(3) Environmental Impact Statement 
The NIH, in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 
1969, undertook an environmental impact assessment to review environmental 
effects, if any, of research that may be conducted under the guidelines. 
The NIH Guidelines were released prior to the completion of the assessment 
because they provide greater protection for the public and the environment 
than the Asilomar Guidelines which they replaced. For example, in a 
number of instances the NIH Guidelines require more stringent safety and 
containment measures, extension of the list of prohibited experiments, and 
a specific ban on the release of recombinant molecules into the environment* 
A Draft Environmental Impact Statement was filed and published in 
the Federal Register on September 9, 1976, to afford additional public 
review and comment. The draft statement is currently being analyzed and 
comments received will be responded to in the final Environmental Impact 
Statement to be published in late March. 
[ 831 ] 
