34 
Dr. McGarrity said the fifth recommendation of the Gore Report is that: 
"The NIH should cease its practice of evaluating and approving proposals 
for deliberate releases from commercial biotechnology companies. The 
NIH should review proposals only from parties engaged in NIH -sponsored 
research, and refer requests from industry to the appropriate agency." 
Dr. McGarrity said the working group rejected the fifth recommendation of 
the Gore Report. The Gore Report states that it does not wish any of its 
recommendations to create a oversight vacuum; the working group strongly 
believes that should NIH cease reviewing proposals there would indeed be a 
vacuum in the review and evaluation process. The working group feels at 
present RAC is the group best equipped to conduct reviews. 
Dr. McGarrity said the sixth recommendation of the Gore Report is that: 
"The NIH and US DA should revise the membership of their respective Recom- 
binant DNA Advisory Committees (RAC) to include individuals specifically 
trained in ecology and the environmental sciences." 
Dr. McGarrity said the working group response is that: 
"NIH is already responding to this suggestion in three ways: (1) changes 
in RAC membership; (2) use of ad hoc consultants to the full RAC; and 
(3) use of environmental experts on working groups of the RAC." 
Dr. McGarrity said the seventh recommendation of the Gore Report is that: 
"The General Accounting Office should review the activities of U5DA in 
overseeing biotechnology and evaluate the agency's authority to regulate 
deliberate releases under all relevant statutes, regulations, and 
executive orders." 
Dr. McGarrity said the working group made no comment on this recommendation. 
Dr. McGarrity said in his fours years on the RAC he has been involved in 
many issues: voluntary compliance, closed sessions, toxins, human subjects, 
plant applications, and environmental releases. Many letters received 
indicated that RAC has done a reasonable job over the years. RAC's advantages 
are that it became involved very early in the recombinant DNA area, it was 
flexible, and it developed a very good track record. Perhaps RAC's record 
has now created problems for other agencies as there was probably a tendency 
to let NIH, vhich is not a regulatory agency, deal with the issues. 
Dr. McGarrity said he applauded the efforts of other government agencies 
to deal with time issues, and he endorsed the concept of an interagency task 
force or other appropriate committee to deal with issues in deliberate 
release. Establishment of an interagency task force is, however, only a 
recommendation and not currently a reality. He suspected it will take 
time to develop the necessary committees. 
[487] 
