126 
an engineered Rhizobium strain, it is our recommendation — and I think this 
is probably even stated in the Green Book — Dr. Fredrickson would solicit what 
advice and expertise he would need from other agencies within the government 
before he would make any particular decision. That certainly is our inten- 
tion here. 
> 
DR. TALBOT: This is stated in the Green Book on page 28. It is talk- 
ing about the release of agriculturally important organisms which have 
incorporated recombinant DNA. It says, "In such a case approval by NIH of 
such an experiment would be given only with the concurrence of other con- 
cerned government agencies." Thus the Committee realizes that there may be 
many steps towards final approval of exemptions from the prohibited experi- 
ments. For instance, if it involved release into the environment, the En- 
vironmental Protection Agency would undoubtedly be involved. 
MS. KING: I won't repeat this, and my question is why is it not speci- 
fied? As a lawyer I have trouble with leaving a great deal of procedural 
mechanisms to discretion, and I also contemplated review other than that 
that was just scientific review, or concerns about environment, for example, 
or involving plants. That is, it seems to me that in this area, even perhaps 
a greater public scrutiny is called for, particularly given the nature of 
what we were talking about--experiment s that were otherwise excluded, but for 
compelling social and scientific reasons it was thought that you might seek 
an exemption. 
DR. FREDRICKSON: I think your point is very well taken, Ms. King, and 
it is one that we should continue to discuss further tomorrow, I guess, when 
we look at the hierarchical structure and the implementation of these Guide- 
1 ines . 
Mr . He 1ms . 
MR. HELMS: Doctor, just before we leave this point, one thing is a 
little unclear to me, and this may become apparent tomorrow, but just on 
this very narrow point, the Advisory Committee of which we are Cinderella 
members for these two days, do you contemplate using this mechanism again 
in making some of the more fundamental of your decisions? 
DR. FREDRICKSON: Yes. 
MR. HELMS: Or your own, perhaps more intimate committee? 
DR. FREDRICKSON: Yes, well, this is my intimate committee. 
(Laughter . ) 
Recently someone tabulated, and I am next to the top in belonging to 
Federal Advisory Committees. I belong to 11, and somebody beat me out at 
12. But I mean to say that there are many statutory advisory committees in 
such an organization as this. This is the committee which represents the 
input from the public and wide sectors of opinion to the Director. The 
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