2 5 3 W a sh i n 9 t o n S t r e e t 
F reder i ck .. Mary Land 2ll r 'yi 
H u. 9 u. s t 2 9 .■ 1 9 3 7 
D i rector .< 
Uffi.ce of Recomb i nant DMA Activities 
12441 Park lawn Drive.- Suite 58 
Rock v i 1 1 e MB 2d 35 2 
Dear Sir or Madam : 
This is a commerit on the Proposed revision of Sect ion II of the 
NIH Guidelines., as they aPPear beginning at 52 FR 29888 (August 11.. 
1 987 > a 
I am Edward UhristoPher Lon nor s .< and I am comment in9 as- a Private 
c i t i z e n w h o r e s i d e s i n t h e city o f ' F r e d e r i c k ( F r e d e r i c k C o u. n t y .•* .< 
Maryland. 
I object to the !an9ua9e of Paragraph 5.. which appears, to be a 
Preamble invoking "accepted Practices- for conduct i n9 research in most 
ord i nary 9reenhouse . . . f ac i l i t i es " .. and " acceP ted sc i ent i f i c P r-act i ces 
f o r c o n d u c t i n 9 r e s e a r c h i n 9 r e e n h o u s e s w i t h o r 9 a n i s m s i n feet i n 9 o r 
infesting Plants ..." as a minimum standard for containment of 
organisms containing recombinant DMA molecules or sequences. 
Since the days when older research facilities were built., there- 
in a v e b e e n a d v a n ces i n c o n s t r u c t i o n t e c h n i 4 u e s .■ a n d 9 r e a t i r o p r o e m e n t 
i n local b u i l d i n 9 a n d z o n i n 9 c o d e s » 
1 h e p r o P o s e d c o n t a i n m e n t 9 u i d e l i n e d o e s n o t cal L o u t a 
requirement for 9reenhou.se glazing material that is stron9 and 
durable. Such materials as wire-reinforced 9 lass., double glazing.. or 
9 l ass-fiber reinforced Plastic are superior in strength and durability 
to single 9 l ass. These would better Protect the Public safety. 
T h e P r o P o s e d c o n t a i n m e n t 9 u. i d e l i n e d o e s n o t c a. 1 1 o u t a 
requirement for an engineered structure capable of withstanding high 
wind loads or snow loads. Presumably., any greenhouse that hasn't 
fa l Lon down would be a.ccePta.ble to Uf-Bfi -and 0 R D fi « I su.99e-st to a.cd 
l a n 9 u a 9 e to r e q u i r e a s t r u o t u r a l i n s P e c t i o n ( u n d e r t e s t 1 o a d s .• if 
i it L t 2/ * y a 
l h e P r o P o s e d c o n t a i n mi e n t 9 u i d e l i n e d o e s n o t c a 1 1 o u t t o r 
P r o t e c t i o n o f t Li e b u i l d i n 9 a 9 a i n s t m i s s lies .. s u c l"i a s m a y b e f o u n d n e a r 
Playgrounds^ I recall that in Summit.. New Jersey.- adjoining the high 
s c h o o l b a 1 1 f i e l d t h e r e i s -a l a r 9 e 9 r e e n L' i o u s e . I be l i e v e t h a t i s 
m a i n l y f o r c o m mi e r c i a l 9 r o w e r s .. b u t a l s o t h e r e h a s b e e n s o m e s P o n s o r- e d 
agricultural research there, fit Public expense.- a heavy Plastic mesh 
is suspended tromi cables between utility Poles.* to deflect baseball. s 
■ 
1342 ] 
Recombinant DNA Research, Volume 13 
