Nalco Chemical Company to Receive Presidential Award for

Environmental Innovation Naperville, Ill. (PROTEXT) - Nalco Chemical Company (NYSE:NLC) will receive the 1999 U.S. Presidential Green ChemistryChallenge Award in a ceremony tonight at the National Academy ofSciences in Washington, D.C., for its development of ULTIMER(R)technology, a water-based approach to treating industrial water,wastewater treatment and papermaking processes. ULTIMER is an advanced water-soluble, liquid polymertechnology that can replace conventional polymer chemistry, someof which uses environmentally harmful hydrocarbon-based oils andsurfactants. Since 1997, ULTIMER has prevented several millionpounds of oils and surfactants from entering the world'swaterways. Sales of ULTIMER have more than quadrupled over thelast four years with more than 60 million pounds utilized incustomer plants worldwide. ULTIMER technology has application in basic, middle market,and small industries that require process, water and wastetreatment programs be run at optimal levels with minimumenvironmental impact. ULTIMER polymers are currently used in manykey global industries including papermaking, petroleum refining,oil production, mining and mineral processing, steel production,metalworking, automotive, food and beverage. Commenting on the award, Nalco Chairman and Chief ExecutiveOfficer Ted Mooney said, "The development of this water-solublepolymer technology is an example of the commitment, innovationand creative thinking Nalco uses to seek out new and advancedwater and wastewater treatment solutions that meet theenvironmental needs of customers today. This award recognizes theachievements of our research and marketing staffs that makeULTIMER technically viable and commercially successful." The Presidential Green Chemistry Challenge was established in1995 to recognize technologies that incorporate the principles ofgreen chemistry into chemical design, manufacture and use;promote fundamental and innovative chemical methodologies thataccomplish pollution prevention; and have broad application inindustry. The awards program is a partnership of the UnitedStates Environmental Protection Agency, the American ChemicalSociety, and the Council for Chemical Research. Nalco was recognized because ULTIMER is applicable to a largeand broad- based segment of industry and users throughout theworld; offers a realistic approach to solving a realenvironmental problem; and is innovative and of scientific merit. Award winners were selected by an independent panel of expertsrepresenting the scientific, industrial, governmental,educational and environmental communities. More than 120nominations, representing academia, small business, industry andgovernment, were judged on criteria including health andenvironmental impact, innovation and industrial applicability. Nalco Chemical Company is the largest provider of watertreatment and process chemicals, services and systems in theworld with annual sales of nearly $1.6 billion. With 3,000 salesengineers in more than 120 countries, Nalco serves industrieswhere water, energy and efficiency are of primary importance.These industries include electronics, food and beverageprocessing, aerospace, medium and light manufacturing, paper,chemical, petroleum, steel, power generation, metalworking,refining, health care and education. For more news about Nalco, visit our website at: www.nalco.com. For more information about the U.S. EPA's Presidential GreenChemistry Challenge Award, visit the website:www.epa.gov/greenchemistry/presgcc.htm . ots Original TextService: Nalco Chemical Company Internet:http://www.newsaktuell.de Contact: Graham Jackson, (USA) 630-305-1365, or Paul Cholette, (USA) 630-305-1147, both of NalcoChemical Company Web site:http://www.epa.gov/greenchemistry/presgcc.htm Web site:http://www.nalco.com

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