MONTEFIORE HOSPITAL AND MEDICAL CENTER 
ALBERT EINSTEIN COLLEGE OF MEDICINE 
BRONX, NEW YORK 
VICTOR W. SIDEL, M.D. 
Chairman. Department of Social Medicine 
Mailing Address: 
Department of Social Medicine 
Montefiore Hospital and Medical Center 
Professor of Community Health 
Chairman, Department of Community Health 
i iriiuiiy is * jJUi 1 1 it tr II l 
(MHMC. Campus) 
Montefiore Hospital and Medical Center 
111 East 210th Street 
Albert Einstein College of Medicine 
Bronx, New York 10467 
Telephone: (212) 920-5508 
February 14, 1984 
Dr. James Wyngaarden 
National Institutes of Health 
9000 Rockville Pike 
124 NIH 1 
Bethesda, MD 20814 
Dear Dr. Wyngaarden: 
As a member of the Board of Directors of the Committee for Responsible 
Genetics, I am extranely concerned about the issues that I understand 
were scheduled for consideration at the meeting of the Recombinant DNA 
Advisory Committee on Responsible Genetics on February 6-7, 1984: 
— the question whether the FAC should be involved in 
regulating the biotechnology industry; 
— the proposal to modify the RAC's membership so that 
it can address questions of the ethics of human gene 
manipulation; and 
— the proposal to require publication of an envrionmental 
impact assessment for experiments involving release of 
organisms containing recombinant DNA molecules. 
I believe there was insufficient time for informed public response to 
these issues and I urge you delay decisions on them to permit time for 
broader public review and opportunity for greater public input. 
Sincerely 
Victor W. Sidel, MD 
VWS:spl 
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