35 
DR. FREDRICKSON: Wait, Ms. Siraring. I don't want to interrupt, but 
why don't you take the podium and ask this question, and wrap it into your 
presentation, if you will. We will give you extra time. 
MS. SIMRING: If you hold the timing on it, thank you. 
DR. FREDRICKSON: We will give you an extra minute for it. But wait 
Ms. Simring, just a moment please. Are there other questions for Mr. 
Thacher? 
DR. BOCK: Just a question about the form of the meeting. Was there 
an open meeting, and how did you come to be invited? 
DR. FREDRICKSON: Would the questioner give his name and identification? 
DR. BOCK: Robert Bock. 
MR. THACHER: I knew about it through some scientists going. Anony- 
mous friends send us a copy of the invitation. We drove down there on the 
second day and were kindly allowed to sit in. But we were not invited. 
DR. FREDRICKSON: Would you identify yourself, please? 
DR. KING: I am Jonathan King, from MIT. I was at the conference, 
and I had to go to the chairman and ask to be admitted. This was not 
announced by the normal procedure for announcing scientific conferences, 
that is, in the scientific journals, Genetics Society of America, American 
Society of Microbiology. It was private. It was by invitation from the 
organizing committee. Many people were rather upset who I talked to about 
it to find out that a risk-assessment conference was taking place and they 
didn't even know about it until after the fact. I will speak to this in my 
present at ion . 
DR. FREDRICKSON: This talk we hear pertains to the Falmouth Con- 
ference, at which time questions about the safety of E. col i K-12 was 
discussed, and reference to which has been made frequently in the Back- 
ground to the Proposed Revision , and which appears also summarized in some 
extensive degree in the Environmental Impact Statement , the Yellow Book 
which you have. 
Are there other questions for Mr. Thacher, or comment from the Committee? 
If not, then thank you, Mr. Thacher. 
MR. THACHER: Thank you. 
DR. FREDRICKSON: You were requested by Dr. Gustafson to extend somewhat 
your suggestions in a written fashion. We will be very glad to receive that 
if you will. 
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