Council Extends Regulations on DNA

The Cambridge City Council last night broadened its ordinance strictly regulating recombinant DNA in the city to include large-scale commercial research and manufacturing.

After three hours of debate and a flurry of amendments, the council approved an ordinance that allows the large-scale work, if it adheres to National Institute of Health (NIH) guidelines, but requires firms or institutions engaging in it to fund a professional enforcement staff.

The ordinance also requires annual inspection and review of large-scale facilities, health and safety checks for employees, and advance warning of more risky research.

The new ordinance will require Harvard to pay a share of the review costs. Before that amendment was added. Robin Schmidt, the University's vice-president for community affairs, had endorsed the ordinance in a letter sent to the council.

Private firms doing recombinant DNA manufacturing work are the principal target of the legislation. One such firm, Biogen, Inc., announced last fall that it planned to locate in East Cambridge.

Biogen officials were unavailable for comment yesterday, but company officials said last month they would be happy to abide by the NIH guidelines. Robert Neer, chairman of the Cambridge biohazards committee, which developed the ordinance, said recently that "as far as I know they're still interested."

Approval of the ordinance came on an 8-1 vote, with only Councilor Alfred E. Vellucci protesting the decision. "I have always felt DNA work should not be done in a city of 100,000 people," Velluci said.

The most important amendment adopted at last night's meeting will force any firms doing DNA work to share the cost of an enforcement staff.

"Why should we pay for the profits of private industry?" Councilor Sandra Graham asked. She said the ordinance demanded tough enforcement because "in this country and this commonwealth you cannot leave it up to private industry to regulate themselves."

"The city of Cambridge has the responsibility for enforcing and monitoring any legislation we put on the books," Graham added.

Other amendments adopted included a provision that labs doing the recombinant DNA work be kept "totally and completely free" of rodents and insects.

"I'm concerned about red ants, fruit flies, fleas, and mice," Velluci said. "We can't allow even half a dozen rats to run around inside," he added.

But Daniel Haves, former mayor of Cambridge and chairman of the Cambridge Experimentation Review Board, insisted that there "is no way to totally eliminate some insects. They use animals in their experiments, and that guarantees insects."

The city adopted guidelines for small-scale recombinant DNA work three years ago after a year of debate and discussion.