2 
Dr. McGarrity, Chair, called the meeting of the Working Group on Release Into 
Environment of the Recombinant DMA Advisory Committee (RAC) to order at 
9:00 a.m. on April 9, 1984. 
Dr. McGarrity said the working group's agenda consisted of four items. These 
are listed below. 
(1) The working group will consider the rqoort entitled "The Environmental 
Implications of Genetic Engineering" prepared by the staff of the 
Subcommittee on Investigations and Oversight of the Committee on Science 
and Technology of the U.S. House of Representatives. This report is 
based on joint hearings held on June 22, 1983, by the House Subcommittee 
on Investigations and Oversight and the House Subcommittee on Science, 
Research, and Technology of the Committee on Science and Technology of 
the U.S. House of Representatives. 
(2) The working group will consider, in light of the report entitled "The 
Environmental Implications of Genetic Engineering, " the questions 
posed by Dr. Bernard Talbot, Deputy Director of the National Institute 
of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, in the January 5, 1984, Federal 
Register (49 FR 696). These questions deal with NIH's appropriate 
boundaries in its function of overseeing use of recombinant DNA technology. 
(3) The workina group will review a draft of submission guidelines drawn up 
by the Plant Vforking Group to provide guidance for submissions under 
Appendix L, Release into the Environment of Certain Plants . 
(4) The workina group will be asked to provide advice on a proposed works loop 
to deal with release into the environment of genetically engineered 
organisms . 
Dr. McGarrity said recommendations rmade by the Working Group on Release into 
Environment would be advisory to RAC. The RAC, in turn, is advisory to the 
National Institutes of Health (NIH) . The NIH has final authority for determining 
the suitability of any action. 
DISCUSSION OF THE REPORT "THE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPLICATIONS OF GENETIC ENGINEERING" 
Dr. McGarrity then began discussion of the report "The Environmental Implications 
of Genetic Fhaineering . " He said the report from the staff of the Subcommittee 
on Investigations and Oversight ( the Gore Report) drew three conclusions. 
These are: 
"(1) The potential environmental risks associated with the deliberate release 
of genetically engineered organisms are best described as 'lew probabi- 
lity of high consequence risks' ; that is, vhile there is only a snail 
possibility of occurrence, the damage that could occur is great. 
[367] 
