Author: Office of Technology Assessment

Publisher: The Minerva Group, Inc.

Published: 2002-06

Total Pages: 170

ISBN-13: 9780894991899

This report, prepared by the Office of Technology Assessment of the United States Congress, illustrates a range of options for congressional action in three major areas of public policy related to the application of biotechnology:1) the criteria for review of planned introductions for potential risk,2) the administrative mechanisms for applying such review criteria, and3) the research base supporting planned introductions.Commercial biotechnology is advancing into areas that depend on the introduction of genetically engineered organisms into the environment. These applications could improve old tools or produce new ones for many fields, including agriculture, forestry, toxic waste cleanup, mining, enhanced oil and mineral recovery, and others. In some cases, such as best control or toxic waste management, successful development of biotechnological tools could reduce or phase out dependence on older, more hazardous chemical technologies. It is widely expected that the application of such biological approaches to many human activities will prove more benign to the environment than traditional technologies.