ALBUQUERQUE—This morning in federal court in Santa Fe, New Mexico, Ervin Yazzie, 34, a member of the Navajo Nation who resides in Tohlakai, New Mexico, was sentenced to a 41-month term of imprisonment, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for his assault conviction.

U.S. Attorney Kenneth J. Gonzales said that Yazzie was arrested on May 3, 2011 on a criminal complaint alleging that he assaulted an unarmed Navajo woman with a baseball bat on July 17, 2008. The assault occurred in the vicinity of the Twin Lakes Chapter House, which is located in the Navajo Indian Reservation. Yazzie has been in federal custody since his arrest.

According to court filings, Yazzie repeatedly struck the victim in the face and head with the bat during the attack. The victim suffered life-threatening injuries as a result of the assault and had to be airlifted to the University of New Mexico Hospital, where she was comatose and remained in the intensive care unit for approximately three weeks.

On May 25, 2011, Yazzie was indicted and charged with (1) assault with a dangerous weapon and (2) assault resulting in serious bodily injury. On October 20, 2011, Yazzie entered a guilty plea to count two of the indictment, charging him with assault resulting in serious bodily injury.

In his plea agreement, Yazzie admitted attacking the victim with a baseball bat and striking her on the head numerous times before fleeing. As required by the plea agreement, count one of the indictment was dismissed after Yazzie was sentenced.

The case was investigated by the Crownpoint Division of the Navajo Nation Department of Public Safety and the FBI, and it is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mark T. Baker and Presliano A. Torrez.

Tohlakai Man Sentenced to 41 Months in Prison for Assaulting Woman | Chicago Press Release Services - Chicago's leading press release newswire service; professional press release services, press release distribution and newswire services.

ALBUQUERQUE—A federal grand jury in Albuquerque has indicted Sylvester Bruce, 44, a former corrections officer with Navajo Nation’s Shiprock Detention Center in Shiprock, New Mexico, on charges related to the sexual abuse of an inmate during the summer and fall of 2010. The indictment was returned on March 28, 2012 and was publicly posted earlier today.

Bruce is charged with one count of violating the civil rights of the victim by engaging in sexual contact with the victim and depriving her of her right to bodily integrity. The defendant is also charged with abusive sexual contact of the victim without her consent. Defendant Bruce is also charged with two counts of making false statements to the FBI, for denying that he had sexual contact with the inmate and for further denying that he took pictures of inmates inside the cells of the Shiprock Detention Center.

Sylvester Bruce faces a maximum penalty of two years in prison for abusive sexual contact, one year in prison for the civil rights violation, and 10 years in prison for the charges related to false statements.

An indictment is merely an accusation, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.

This case is being investigated by the Farmington, New Mexico Resident Agency of the Albuquerque Division of the FBI and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Baker for the District of New Mexico and Fara Gold of the Civil Rights Division of the U.S. Department of Justice.

Former Corrections Officer at Shiprock Detention Center Charged for Sexually Abusing a Female Inmate | Chicago Press Release Services - Chicago's leading press release newswire service; professional press release services, press release distribution and newswire services.

ALBUQUERQUE—This morning a federal judge in Santa Fe, New Mexico, sentenced Cameron Kalestewa, 21, a member of Zuni Pueblo, to 63 months in prison for his voluntary manslaughter conviction.

Kalestewa will be on supervised release for two years after completing his prison sentence. He also was ordered to pay $1929.77 in restitution to his victim’s grandmother to cover the victim’s funeral costs and the cost of grief counseling for the grandmother. Kalestewa also was ordered to pay $6,000 in restitution to the New Mexico Crimes Victims Reparation Commission.

U.S. Attorney Kenneth J. Gonzales said that Kalestewa was charged with killing Michael Lalio, a 23-year-old Zuni Pueblo man, during an altercation that took place in Zuni Pueblo on November 17, 2010. Kalestewa was arrested on December 2, 2010, and has been in federal custody since that time. On January 13, 2011, Kalestewa was indicted and charged with second-degree murder.

According to court records, Kalestewa and Lalio were involved in an physical altercation, on November 17, 2010, during which Kalestewa stabbed Lalio in the torso. Lalio died shortly thereafter as a result of the injuries he sustained. Kalestewa pled guilty to an information charging him with voluntary manslaughter on August 31, 2011, and admitted killing Lalio.

The court dismissed the indictment against Kalestewa after imposing sentence on him.

The case was investigated by the FBI and the Zuni Police Department, and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul H. Spiers.

Zuni Pueblo Man Sentenced to 63 Months for Federal Manslaughter Conviction | Chicago Press Release Services - Chicago's leading press release newswire service; professional press release services, press release distribution and newswire services.

LAREDO, TX—The federal jury in Laredo, Texas, hearing the case of Gerardo Castillo-Chavez, aka “Cachetes,” aka Armado Garcia, has just returned guilty verdicts on all counts, United States Attorney Kenneth Magidson announced today. Castillo-Chavez, 25, who hails from Miguel Aleman, Tamaulipas, Mexico, was convicted of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances, interstate travel in aid of racketeering (ITAR), and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime or a crime of violence.

Jury selection began on Jan. 17 before U.S. District Judge Micaela Alavarez and, after four-and-a-half days of trial testimony and approximately six hours of deliberation, the jury returned its unanimous verdicts just moments ago.

The charges stem from a Feb. 17, 2010, superceding indictment charging Castillo-Chavez and 33 others with 47 counts of conspiracy to kidnap and murder U.S. citizens in a foreign country, drug conspiracy, kidnapping conspiracy, firearms conspiracy, money laundering conspiracy, use of juveniles to commit a violent crime, accessory after the fact, solicitation, as well as substantive money laundering, drug trafficking, and ITAR charges.

During the week-long trial, jurors heard testimony from several Zeta hitmen who committed murders in Laredo, Texas, as well as Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas, and Monterrey, Nuevo Leon, Mexico. In addition, several defendants testified as witnesses for the government and detailed cocaine and marijuana trafficking from Mexico to Dallas, Texas, and New York City. Further testimony outlined murders and attempted murders committed by “sicario” (assassin) cells in Laredo between June 2005 and April 2006. The United States also presented telephone interceptions which described in detail the gruesome murders and disposal of the bodies of two U.S. citizens kidnapped and killed in Nuevo Laredo.

Testimony of several witnesses, including three co-defendants, tied Castillo-Chavez to the Gulf Cartel and the Zetas between November 2005 and May 2009. Their testimony implicated “Cachetes” in the double murder of two males on April 2, 2006, the attempted murders of two others in March 2006 and in the grenade attack of a nightclub in Monterrey, Mexico, where four people were killed.

Of those originally charged in relation to the case, 14 have now been convicted, with some already receiving significant sentences, such as 40 years, 60 years and one life sentence. Five others are still pending sentencing. In addition, four others have also been convicted in separate indictments resulting from the same investigation.

Castillo-Chavez himself faces up to life imprisonment and a $4 million fine for the drug conspiracy conviction. He also faces an additional $250,000 fine and a maximum of 20 years for each of the ITAR charges relating to the attempted murders and up to life for the firearms charges in addition to a fine of $250,000 relating to the same attempted murders. He has been in custody since Feb. 5, 2009, when he was arrested in Houston where he will remain in pending his sentencing hearing, set for April 30, 2012.

The case against Castillo-Chavez was a result of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force investigation dubbed Operation Prophecy spearheaded by the Drug Enforcement Administration and Laredo Police Department with the assistance of Immigration and Customs Enforcement-Homeland Security Investigations, FBI, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Border Patrol, U.S. Marshals Service, Webb County Sheriff’s Office, and the Webb County District Attorney’s Office. The investigation targeted various cells of the Gulf Cartel and the Zetas with a primary focus on the sicario cells that carried out executions of targeted rival drug members on both sides of the border.

The case was prosecuted in Laredo federal court by Assistant United States Attorney (AUSA) José Angel Moreno with assistance throughout the case from AUSAs James Hepburn and Jimmy Ustynoski, who is now with the Northern District of Florida.

Texas Jury Convicts Zeta Hitman “Cachetes” | Chicago Press Release Services - Chicago's leading press release newswire service; professional press release services, press release distribution and newswire services.

The New Mexico Regional Computer Forensics Laboratory (NMRCFL) officially opened on the grounds of the University of New Mexico today—the second RCFL physically located on a university campus, and the 16th such facility in the FBI’s national network of full-service digital forensics laboratories and training centers.

RCFLs provide objective digital forensics expertise and services to law enforcement and are devoted to the examination of digital evidence in support of federal, state, and local criminal and national security investigations. FBI Director Robert S. Mueller, III selected the Albuquerque Division in 2008 because the local law enforcement community demonstrated wide support for an RCFL and had a large pool of qualified personnel to staff the facility. The NMRCFL will be staffed with personnel from the FBI’s Albuquerque Division, the Albuquerque Police Department, the Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office, New Mexico State Police, and the University of New Mexico.

Since 2009, the NMRCFL staff—using temporary workspace in the FBI’s Albuquerque Division during the laboratory’s construction—received 838 requests for service from area law enforcement and conducted 842 digital forensics examinations. The NMRCFL’s top five customer requests by crime classification are cyber crime (45 percent), violent crime (25 percent), white-collar crime (24 percent), computer intrusions (6 percent), and counterintelligence (2 percent).

Louis E. Grever, executive assistant director of the FBI’s Science and Technology Branch, which oversees the RCFL program, said, “With nearly every criminal investigation now involving some form of digital evidence, there is great need for highly skilled digital forensics examiners. With this flagship facility, and a shared commitment to providing the highest quality digital forensics to law enforcement, we will aggressively apply high-technology to solve crimes and keep our communities safe.”

Since the RCFL program began in 1999, the demand for its services has grown exponentially. In addition to providing digital forensics expertise, the NMRCFL will train local law enforcement in various digital forensics techniques in their state-of-the art classroom. The laboratory also features a cell phone investigative kiosk that law enforcement may use to examine mobile phones and other handheld devices, along with a loose media kiosk to review evidentiary data on USB devices, CD/DVDs, etc. These self-serve resources are proven to enhance law enforcement’s ability to lawfully extract digital evidence quickly and efficiently.

The NMRCFL’s services are available to every law enforcement agency with jurisdiction in New Mexico. To learn about the NMRCFL, log onto www.nmrcfl.org. For more information about the RCFL program, visit www.rcfl.gov.

The RCFL Program Opens New Laboratory in New Mexico | Chicago Press Release Services - Chicago's leading press release newswire service; professional press release services, press release distribution and newswire services.

NAPERVILLE, Ill., Nov. 1, 2011 /CHICAGOPRESSRELEASE.COM/ —

(Logo: http://photos.CHICAGOPRESSRELEASE.COM.com/prnh/20101231/NALCOLOGO)

Third Quarter 2011 Highlights

• Reported diluted EPS of 55 cents, +31%;  Record third quarter adjusted diluted EPS of 53 cents, +15%
• Record reported sales +15%, double-digit growth in all segments; organic sales +13%
• Double-digit profit growth in Water and Energy businesses, excluding one-time sales from the Gulf of Mexico emergency response in 2010
• Increased sequential Adjusted EBITDA margin by 170 basis points; expected pricing gains achieved
• Increased 2011 earnings guidance
• Merger integration planning with Ecolab progressing; anticipating fourth quarter 2011 close

			Increase — Third Quarter 2011 vs. 2010
			Actual		Organic(1)		Organic, exc Gulf(2)
Net sales			15.0%		12.5%		14.5%
Operating earnings			13.0%		14.0%		24.3%
Adjusted operating earnings (3)			7.8%		9.0%		18.5%
EBITDA			10.0%		10.2%		18.1%
Adjusted EBITDA (4)			5.9%		6.2%		13.6%
(1) Excluding the impact of foreign currency translation rate changes and acquisitions and divestitures.
(2)  Excluding impact of one-time sales of dispersant products used for the Gulf of Mexico emergency response in 2010.
(3) Operating earnings adjusted for restructuring expenses and unusual items.
(4) EBITDA adjusted for restructuring expenses and unusual items.

Nalco (NYSE: NLC), providing essential expertise for water, energy and air, reported record sales and double-digit  adjusted earnings per share (EPS) growth for the third quarter ending September 30, 2011 and raised full year guidance, reflecting strong sales and profit growth in all segments and regions. Double-digit organic sales growth was driven by strong volume and price gains in all segments. These gains more than offset significantly higher raw material costs to yield a 31 percent reported diluted EPS increase in the quarter. Reported diluted EPS increased to 55 cents compared to 42 cents in the year-ago period reflecting improved operating earnings and reduced interest expense. Adjusted EPS increased 15 percent to 53 cents compared to 46 cents in the year-ago period.  Prior year results include 6 cents EPS associated with one-time sales from the Gulf of Mexico emergency response in 2010 (Gulf). (See Attachment 9)

Record sales of $1.3 billion rose a strong 15 percent over last year, including a favorable impact from foreign exchange of 4 percent. Organic sales, excluding the one-time Gulf sales, grew 15 percent. Reported BRIC+ sales grew 21% to $229 million.

Adjusted EBITDA of $208 million increased 6 percent versus $196 million in the prior year (See Attachment 5). Adjusted EBITDA margin increased 170 basis points sequentially as pricing gains fully offset substantial raw material and freight headwinds.

Organic Adjusted EBITDA grew 14 percent, excluding approximately $13 million of Adjusted EBITDA in the year-ago quarter associated with Gulf sales.  

The reported effective tax rate in the quarter was 35.0%. Excluding the impact of special gains and charges, the Adjusted Effective Tax Rate was 35.4%. (See Attachment 10)

“Our double-digit revenue and EPS growth underscores the stability and strength of our core markets as well as our ability to deliver strong results despite challenging economic environments.  Our industry-leading technology and service expertise enabled us to grow both price and volume in the face of significant raw material cost inflation this quarter, and we are well-positioned to continue delivering strong gains in the fourth quarter and into 2012,” said Nalco Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Erik Fyrwald.

“Our planned merger with Ecolab will create even more growth potential as we combine Ecolab’s significant capabilities in cleaning and sanitization with our leading global positions in water, process and energy services.   We see significant revenue synergy opportunities leveraging Ecolab’s very strong positions in Food & Beverage and Institutional markets where Nalco’s water services business has strong offerings and attractive margins but a smaller position. Our teams are excited and planning is progressing towards a fourth quarter close.”

Segment Details (See Attachment 6)

Water Services:  Sales of $521 million increased 11 percent organically, led by double-digit sales growth in Mining and in the Light Food & Beverage and Manufacturing end-markets. Light and Heavy industry organic sales grew 7 percent and 5 percent, respectively. Direct contribution improved 15 percent over prior year, driven by volume growth and pricing gains. Direct contribution margin improved 40 basis points versus prior year, reflecting strong pricing gains, partially offset by increased raw material costs and  the impact from substantial BRIC+ hires last year.

Energy Services:  Sales of $510 million increased 21 percent organically, excluding Gulf sales, led by substantial growth in Enhanced Oil Recovery and double-digit Upstream and Downstream sales growth. Direct contribution, excluding Gulf response sales, increased 20 percent over prior year, reflecting pricing gains and volume growth, partially offset by increased raw material costs and BRIC+ hires last year. Direct contribution margin, excluding Gulf response sales, declined 90 basis points reflecting primarily mix.

Paper Services:  Sales grew 9 percent organically to $219 million, led by double-digit growth in the Americas. Direct contribution improved 7 percent over prior year driven primarily by pricing gains. Direct contribution margin declined 90 basis points from prior year reflecting primarily raw material and freight headwinds.

2011 Expectations

“Given the acceleration of our strong performance and slightly lower tax rate, we have updated our outlook for 2011,” Fyrwald said. “We delivered the price gains and margin improvement we committed to and we will continue to focus our commercial efforts towards even more growth.  I’m excited about the future and confident that given our market momentum, unparalleled sales and service expertise, and soon to be improved financial position as part of Ecolab, we will grow even faster and stronger.”

Nalco raised 2011 guidance reflecting strong sales growth and improving margins as price increases continue to take effect.

The Company’s updated outlook for the Fiscal Year 2011 is as follows:

Conference Call/Webcast

Nalco will discuss third-quarter 2011 results in a conference call and audio-only Webcast to be held on Nov. 2 at 10 a.m. ET. Information on the conference call and Webcast is available on our website at www.nalco.com/investors.

About Nalco

Nalco is the world’s largest sustainability services company focused on industrial water, energy and air applications; delivering significant environmental, social and economic performance benefits to our customers. We help our customers reduce energy, water and other natural resource consumption, enhance air quality, minimize environmental releases and improve productivity and end products while boosting the bottom line. Together our comprehensive solutions contribute to the sustainable development of customer operations. Nalco is a member of the Dow Jones Sustainability World and North America Indexes. More than 12,000 Nalco employees operate in 150 countries supported by a comprehensive network of manufacturing facilities, sales offices and research centers to serve a broad range of end markets. In 2010, Nalco achieved sales of $4.25 billion. For more information visit www.nalco.com.  

Several non-GAAP measures are discussed in today’s press release. Management believes that discussion of these measures provides investors with additional insight into the ongoing operations of Nalco Holding Company. Non-GAAP measures are reconciled to the closest GAAP measure in schedules attached to this press release, which may also be found at www.nalco.com/investors. Adjusted Operating Earnings is a non-GAAP measure that includes adjusting for restructuring expenses and unusual items. Reconciliation to operating earnings is included in Attachment 4. EBITDA is a non-GAAP measure used by management as an internal operating metric and for enterprise valuation purposes. Adjusted EBITDA is a non-GAAP measure that includes adjusting for restructuring expenses and unusual items. Reconciliation to net earnings is included in Attachment 5. Free Cash Flow is reconciled on Attachment 8 to Cash from Operations as shown on Nalco’s Cash Flow Statement, and is defined as Cash from Operations less Capital Expenditures and Noncontrolling Interest charges. Adjusted EPS is a non-GAAP measure that includes adjusting for restructuring expenses and unusual items. Reconciliation to reported EPS as shown on Nalco’s Statement of Operations is included in Attachment 9. Adjusted Effective Tax Rate is defined as the income tax provision excluding the tax expense (benefit) of specified transactions, divided by earnings before income taxes excluding the earnings (loss) before income taxes attributable to those specified transactions.  It is reconciled to the actual effective tax rate on Attachment 10. In addition, Nalco may discuss sales growth in terms of reported (actual), organic (reported less foreign currency and acquisition/divestiture/merger/joint venture/perimeter impacts), and real (organic growth less that portion of the growth which consists of price increases that simply pass along higher purchased material and freight costs) The non-GAAP measures should not be viewed as alternatives to GAAP measures of performance. Furthermore, these measures may not be consistent with similar measures provided by other companies.

Cautionary Statements Regarding Forward-Looking Information

This communication contains certain statements relating to future events and our intentions, beliefs, expectations and predictions for the future which are forward-looking statements as that term is defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Words or phrases such as “will likely result,” “are expected to,” “will continue,” “is anticipated,” “we believe,” “we expect,” “estimate,” “project,” “may,” “will,” “intend,” “plan,” “believe,” “target,” “forecast” (including the negative or variations thereof) or similar terminology used in connection with any discussion of future plans, actions or events generally identify forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements regarding benefits of the merger, integration plans and expected synergies, the expected timing of completion of the merger, and anticipated future financial and operating performance and results, including estimates for growth.   These statements are based on the current expectations of management of Nalco and Ecolab, as applicable. There are a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from the forward-looking statements included in this communication. These risks and uncertainties include (i) the risk that the stockholders of Nalco may not adopt the merger agreement, (ii) the risk that the stockholders of Ecolab may not approve the issuance of Ecolab common stock to Nalco stockholders in the merger, (iii) the risk that the companies may be unable to obtain regulatory approvals required for the merger, or that required regulatory approvals may delay the merger or result in the imposition of conditions that could have a material adverse effect on the combined company or cause the companies to abandon the merger, (iv) the risk that the conditions to the closing of the merger may not be satisfied, (v) the risk that a material adverse change, event or occurrence may affect Nalco or Ecolab prior to the closing of the merger and may delay the merger or cause the companies to abandon the merger, (vi) the risk that an unsolicited offer by another company to acquire shares or assets of Nalco or Ecolab could interfere with or prevent the merger, (vii) problems that may arise in successfully integrating the businesses of the companies, which may result in the combined company not operating as effectively and efficiently as expected, (viii) the possibility that the merger may involve unexpected costs, unexpected liabilities or unexpected delays, (ix) the risk that the credit ratings of the combined company or its subsidiaries may be different from what the companies currently expect, (x) the risk that the businesses of the companies may suffer as a result of uncertainty surrounding the merger and (xi) the risk that disruptions from the transaction will harm relationships with customers, employees and suppliers.

Other unknown or unpredictable factors could also have material adverse effects on future results, performance or achievements of Nalco, Ecolab and the combined company. For a further discussion of these and other risks and uncertainties applicable to the respective businesses of Nalco and Ecolab, see the Annual Reports on Form 10-K of Nalco and Ecolab for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2010 and the companies’ other public filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”). These risks, as well as other risks associated with the merger, are more fully discussed in the joint proxy statement/prospectus included in the Registration Statement on Form S-4 that Ecolab has filed with the SEC in connection with the merger, which was declared effective by the SEC on October 28, 2011. On or about October 31, 2011, Nalco and Ecolab began mailing the definitive joint proxy statement/prospectus to stockholders of record as of the close of business on October 11, 2011. In light of these risks, uncertainties, assumptions and factors, the forward-looking events discussed in this communication may not occur. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this communication. Neither Nalco nor Ecolab undertakes, and each of them expressly disclaims, any duty to update any forward-looking statement whether as a result of new information, future events or changes in their respective expectations, except as required by law.

Additional Information and Where to Find it

In connection with the proposed merger between Ecolab and Nalco, Ecolab filed with the SEC a Registration Statement on Form S-4 that includes a joint proxy statement of Ecolab and Nalco that also constitutes a prospectus of Ecolab relating to the proposed transaction. The Registration Statement was declared effective by the SEC on October 28, 2011. On or about October 31, 2011, Nalco and Ecolab began mailing the definitive joint proxy statement/prospectus to stockholders of record as of the close of business on October 11, 2011. WE URGE INVESTORS AND SECURITY HOLDERS TO READ THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT AND JOINT PROXY STATEMENT/PROSPECTUS AND ANY OTHER RELEVANT DOCUMENTS FILED WITH THE SEC BECAUSE THEY CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION about Ecolab, Nalco and the proposed merger. Investors and security holders can obtain these materials and other documents filed with the SEC free of charge at the SEC’s website, www.sec.gov. In addition, copies of the registration statement and joint proxy statement/prospectus can be obtained free of charge by accessing Nalco’s website at www.nalco.com by clicking on the “Investors” link and then clicking on the “SEC Filings” link or by writing Nalco at 1601 West Diehl Road, Naperville, Illinois 60563, Attention: Corporate Secretary or by accessing Ecolab’s website at www.ecolab.com by clicking on the “Investor” link and then clicking on the “SEC Filings” link or by writing Ecolab at 370 Wabasha Street North, Saint Paul, Minnesota, 55102, Attention: Corporate Secretary. Security holders may also read and copy any reports, statements and other information filed by Ecolab or Nalco with the SEC, at the SEC public reference room at 100 F Street, N.E., Washington, D.C. 20549. Please call the SEC at 1-800-SEC-0330 or visit the SEC’s website for further information on its public reference room.

Participants in the Merger Solicitation

Ecolab, Nalco and certain of their respective directors, executive officers and other members of management and employees may be deemed to be participants in the solicitation of proxies in respect of the proposed transaction. Information regarding Ecolab’s directors and executive officers is available in its proxy statement filed with the SEC by Ecolab on March 18, 2011 in connection with its 2011 annual meeting of stockholders, and information regarding Nalco’s directors and executive officers is available in its proxy statement filed with the SEC by Nalco on March 14, 2011 in connection with its 2011 annual meeting of stockholders. Other information regarding the participants in the proxy solicitation and a description of their direct and indirect interests, by security holdings or otherwise, is contained in the registration statement and joint proxy statement/prospectus and other relevant materials that have been filed with the SEC.

Non-Solicitation

This communication does not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any securities, nor shall there be any sale of securities in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such jurisdiction.

SOURCE Nalco Company

http://www.nalco.com

Nalco Reports Strong Double-Digit Third-Quarter Sales and EPS Growth; Raised 2011 Guidance | Chicago Press Release Services - Chicago's leading press release newswire service; professional press release services, press release distribution and newswire services.

The fellowships provide support to teams of scholars to collaborate intensively on a single project. The project is one of six selected for the collaborative humanities research program, which is supported by a grant from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.

The $110,000 award will allow Madrid, associate professor of Latin American and Latino studies, to spend next year completing his latest research project focusing on transnational relations between Cuba and Mexico through a cultural study of the danzón, a dance of Cuban origin that combines European and African elements.

Working with Robin Moore of the University of Texas at Austin, Madrid will conduct final fieldwork on the danzón in Cuba, Mexico, and New Orleans and finish writing a book about the dance genre’s transnational history, influences, and contemporary practice.

Much of Madrid’s research involves the connection between modernity, tradition, globalization, and identity in music and expressive culture from Mexico, the U.S.-Mexico border, and the circum-Caribbean.

In 2010, Madrid won the International Association for the Study of Popular Music’s Woody Guthrie Book Award for “Nor-Tec Rifa! Electronic Dance Music from Tijuana to the World.” The award honors the best book about popular music studies in the English language.

His first book, “Sounds of the Modern Nation: Music, Culture, and Ideas in Post-Revolutionary Mexico,” earned the 2005 Casa de las Américas International Musicology Award.

The American Council of Learned Societies is a private nonprofit federation that seeks to advance studies in all fields in the humanities and the social sciences.

With more than 10,000 undergraduate and graduate students, the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences is UIC’s largest college. It comprises more than 20 departments and programs offering over 40 undergraduate major fields of specialization, 40 minors, nearly 50 graduate degrees at the master’s and doctoral levels, and almost 1,000 courses. The college features programs in the humanities, social sciences and natural sciences.

For more information about UIC, please visit www.uic.edu.

UIC Musicologist Wins Humanities Fellowship | Chicago Press Release Services - Chicago's leading press release newswire service; professional press release services, press release distribution and newswire services.

The presentation by Urrea, professor of English, will take place at 3 p.m. in Student Center East, 750 S. Halsted St., Room 302. Admission is free and open to the public. For more information, call (312) 996-4687.

The title of distinguished professor is given to exceptional faculty for significant scholarship and contributions to the college and the campus, in addition to their chosen fields.

Urrea, a 2005 Pulitzer Prize finalist for nonfiction and member of the Latino Literature Hall of Fame, was born in Tijuana, Mexico to a Mexican father and an American mother. He has won numerous awards for his poetry, fiction and essays, some of which reflect his personal knowledge and experience of the U.S.-Mexico border culture.

“The Devil’s Highway,” Urrea’s 2004 nonfiction account of a group of Mexican immigrants lost in the Arizona desert, won the Lannan Literary Award and was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize and the Pacific Rim Kiriyama Prize.

His historical novel, “The Hummingbird’s Daughter,” tells the story of Teresa Urrea, the unofficial Saint of Cabora and Mexico’s Joan of Arc. The book, which involved 20 years of research and writing, won the Kiriyama Prize in fiction. A sequel titled “Queen of America” is scheduled for publication later this year.

“The Devil’s Highway,” “The Hummingbird’s Daughter,” and Urrea’s most recent novel, “Into the Beautiful North,” have been chosen by more than 30 different cities and colleges for One Book community reading programs.

Urrea has taught creative writing at UIC since 1999 and previously taught at Harvard University, the University of Colorado, and the University of Louisiana-Lafayette. Prior to teaching, Urrea was a relief worker in Tijuana, a film extra and columnist-editor-cartoonist for several publications.

With more than 10,000 undergraduate and graduate students, the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences is UIC’s largest college. It comprises more than 20 departments and programs offering over 40 undergraduate major fields of specialization, 40 minors, nearly 50 graduate degrees at the master’s and doctoral levels, and almost 1,000 courses. The college features programs in the humanities, social sciences and natural sciences.

For more information about UIC, please visit www.uic.edu.

UIC Scholar and Author to be Honored | Chicago Press Release Services - Chicago's leading press release newswire service; professional press release services, press release distribution and newswire services.

NEW ORLEANS – Amid a new reality — casinos are not recession-proof — gambling in Louisiana and Mississippi is staging a slow comeback from the economic meltdown of 2008, aggravated for a time by the Gulf of Mexico oil spill that chased away some tourists.

But at least for the rest of 2010 and into 2011, industry analysts expect many players to keep a tight grip on their wallets amid uncertain economic times — and those who watch casinos are largely unwilling to predict when full recovery might come.

“Gamblers, like other people, have to feel comfortable about their financial situation,” said Joseph Weinert, senior vice president of Linwood, N.J.-based Spectrum Gaming Group. “There had been the perception that the industry was largely recession-proof, but we saw what happened a couple of years ago. When the economy got tanked, the industry got whacked.”

For the first three quarters of 2010, revenue at Mississippi’s state-licensed casinos totaled $1.83 billion, down 12.9 percent from the first nine months of 2008 — the period leading into the U.S. economic freefall. Still, the decline has slowed. According to the Mississippi Department of Revenue, casino takes dropped only 3.3 percent from the first three quarters of 2009.

In the latest count, the 11 casinos across the Mississippi Gulf Coast were down 12.7 percent from the first nine months of 2008, but recorded only a 1.3 percent drop from 2009, indicating that the oil spill had only a small effect on gambling. The 19 casinos on the Mississippi River, including Tunica in the Arkansas-Tennessee corner, were down 12.8 percent from 2008 and 5 percent from last year.

In Louisiana, the 13 riverboat casinos, Harrah’s downtown New Orleans casino and the four race track casinos, for the first three quarters of 2010, recorded a 7.7 percent drop in gambling revenue from the first nine months of 2008. The 2010 tally was down 5.3 percent from 2009.

“I’m reserved, but optimistically reserved. The numbers appear to be stabilizing,” said Dane Morgan, chairman of the Louisiana Gaming Control Board.

But sustained growth is a question mark, regionally and nationally.

Recently, at the Global Gaming Expo in Las Vegas, American Gaming Association head Frank Fahrenkopf said gambling revenue in state-licensed casinos rose 1.3 percent — or to just over $8 billion — from the second quarter to the third quarter of 2010. But that’s still about $100 million less than casinos took in during the same period last year. Fahrenkopf blamed that on reduced discretionary spending by consumers.

Earlier this month, Jefferies & Co. analyst David Katz said he expected Louisiana and Mississippi casinos owned by Penn National Gaming Inc., Pinnacle Entertainment Inc., Boyd Gaming Corp. and MGM Resorts International to report mixed results during fourth-quarter revenue reports, saying the region’s recovery still lags behind other markets.

“Right now, the gaming industry is largely a function of the regional and national economies,” Weinert said. “It depends upon whether you see those economies flatten out or start showing some life. The casinos will follow that.”

A large chunk of Louisiana’s casino business is pointed at Texans. Shreveport-Bossier City gambling revenue, for the first three quarters of 2010, fell 10.5 percent from the first nine months of 2008. The recent tally is down 4.4 percent from 2009. The five riverboats and the track casino in that market have been facing increased competition from Indian nation casinos in Oklahoma.

In Lake Charles, where direct competition is more isolated for three riverboats and a track casino, the tally is just about the same in comparing 2008 and 2010, although down 5.8 percent from 2009. The 2008 figures were skewed by September when two major hurricanes chopped at as much as $20 million from the historic monthly count.

In the New Orleans area, which has two riverboats and a track casino along with the land casino, gambling revenue is down 9.4 percent in the three-quarter comparison of 2008 to 2010 and down 2.9 percent from 2009. The boats and the track casino generally appeal to a local market, while Harrah’s — more aimed toward tourists and the convention business — typically posts big months during such events as Mardi Gras, the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, the Essence Festival and big-ticket sporting events.

But more outlets want to get into the competitive fray, despite the slower times. Pinnacle hopes to open its $357 million riverboat casino-hotel project in Baton Rouge in December 2011. That market, which currently has two gambling boats, has seen a 13.3 percent drop in revenue from the first three quarters of 2008 to the first three of 2010.

“I think a new casino will grow that market, but it will be at the expense of the other operators,” said industry analyst Cory Morowitz of Galloway, N.J.-based Morowitz Gaming Advisors. “There’s not enough room otherwise.”

Three groups have filed for the 15th and final riverboat license allowed by Louisiana law. Two want another Lake Charles casino, while the other wants another suburban New Orleans boat.

Louisiana regulator Morgan said he hopes a decision on the winner will be made by March.

In Mississippi, Gaming Commission executive director Larry Gregory said no new projects are near fruition, but investors continue to express interest in the state, especially along the coast.

“We have had a lot of interest over the past year. People coming down here and looking and wanting to move forward with something. But in today’s economy, it’s difficult to fund these projects,” Gregory said. “The coast is prime for development. But it’s not just us. You look at mature jurisdictions all over, not new ones, there are just not many projects.”

Casinos struggle back from recession (AP) | Chicago Press Release Services - Chicago's leading press release newswire service; professional press release services, press release distribution and newswire services.

Hooded gunmen killed the mayor of a small town in the northern Mexico state of San Luis Potosi on Wednesday, and prosecutors announced the arrest of seven suspects in the massacre of 72 migrants in August.

President Felipe Calderon’s office issued a statement saying he “energetically condemned” the slaying of the mayor of El Naranjo — the third mayor to be killed in Mexico in less than a month.

Amid the violence, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said that Mexico is “looking more and more like Colombia looked 20 years ago, where the narco-traffickers control certain parts of the country, not significant parts.”

Her comments raised hackles in Mexico.

“Of course we do not agree with the statement in this regard, given that there are very important differences between what Colombia faced then and what Mexico faces today,” Mexican government security spokesman Alejandro Poire said.

Mexican officials say drug cartels are not allied with domestic rebel insurgencies, do not have political influence or following and do not exercise formal control of large swaths of the country, as they did in Colombia in the 1980s and 1990s.

But attacks like Wednesday’s shooting death of El Naranjo Mayor Alexander Lopez Garcia suggest cartels are targeting civilian government in Mexico.

The San Luis Potosi state prosecutors’ office said Lopez Garcia was killed by a squad of four hitmen who pulled up in a vehicle.

Two of the attackers burst into Lopez Garcia’s office and killed him before fleeing. The rural township of about 20,000 people borders the violent-wracked state of Tamaulipas, where 72 migrants were massacred by drug gunmen in August.

There was no immediate information on the motive in the attack, but the style of the slaying resembles methods used by Mexico’s drug cartels.

Lopez Garcia was the third Mexican mayor slain in the last month. On Aug. 29, the mayor of a town just across the state line in Tamaulipas was shot to death and his daughter wounded. The mayor of Santiago, a town in the neighboring state of Nuevo Leon, was found murdered Aug. 18, a crime for local police officers allied with a drug gang are suspected.

Ms. Clinton made her statements Wednesday in Washington at the Council on Foreign Relations, where she said drug cartels are “morphing into, or making common cause with, what we would consider an insurgency in Mexico and in Central America.”

“These drug cartels are now showing more and more indices of insurgency,” Ms. Clinton said. “All of a sudden, car bombs show up which weren’t there before.”

Ms. Clinton also suggested that “we need to figure out what are the equivalents” for Mexico and Central America of the U.S. Plan Colombia — in which American special forces teams train Colombian troops and U.S. advisers are attached to Colombian military units.

Mexico has long rejected allowing U.S. troops on its soil, except for a single symbolic presence: Mexico’s Senate has authorized a U.S. detachment to march in next week’s Bicentennial parade.

Ms. Clinton acknowledged Plan Colombia was controversial, but added that “there were problems and there were mistakes, but it worked.”

Later, U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Arturo Valenzuela said Ms. Clinton’s comments shouldn’t be misinterpreted.

“What we are concerned about is the fact that you see the development of phenomena of car bombs that can affect innocent people and these are terrorist acts, you can define them as terrorist acts,” Mr. Valenzuela said.

“But the term insurgency should not be viewed in the same way we would refer to a Colombian insurgency. Not an insurgency of a militarized group within a society that is attempting to take over the state for political reasons.”

He said what was happening in Mexico is an escalation of violence by criminal organizations, not an insurgency.

Also Wednesday, the Mexican government announced that marines had arrested seven gunmen suspected of killing 72 Central and South American migrants last month in the worst drug cartel massacre to date.

Four of the suspects were arrested after a Sept. 3 gunbattle with marines, and the other three were captured days later, spokesman Alejandro Poire said at a news conference.

Mr. Poire alleged the seven belong to the Zetas drug gang, but he gave no further details on their identities or what led to their arrests.

Investigators believe the migrants were kidnapped by the Zetas and killed after refusing to work for the cartel.

The arrests “will help determine exactly what happened in San Fernando, Tamaulipas, and it’s a significant step toward ending the impunity surrounding assaults on migrants by organized crime,” Mr. Poire said.

A total of eight suspects are now in custody: Marines arrested a teenager after a shootout with gunmen at the ranch the day they discovered the bodies. Three gunmen were killed during that battle.

In addition, marines last week found the bodies of three other men suspected of participating in the massacre after an anonymous caller told authorities where to find them. Officials say they have no information on who made the call, but in the past drug gangs have handed over suspects in especially brutal killings that draw too much attention.

A Honduran man who also survived the slaughter and is under police protection in Mexico later identified the three dead men as having been among the killers.

The latest arrests were announced one day after authorities found the bodies of two men believed to be those of a state detective and a local police chief who participated in the initial investigation of the massacre.

The two officers went missing a day after the migrants were found in San Fernando, a town about 100 miles (80 kilometers) south of Brownsville, Texas.

The Tamaulipas state Attorney General’s Office said identification documents found on the bodies matched those of the missing officials, state detective Roberto Suarez Vazquez and Juan Carlos Suarez Sanchez, who was head of the Public Safety department of San Fernando.

The two bodies were found in a field about 50 kilometers northeast of San Fernando.

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EUGENE, Ore. – Kenjon Barner replaced suspended running back LaMichael James for No. 11 Oregon and ran for a career-high 147 yards and four touchdowns before catching another score in the Ducks’ 72-0 season-opening rout of New Mexico on Saturday.

Quarterback Darron Thomas, making his debut at starter for Oregon, completed 13 of 23 passes for 220 yards and two touchdowns. The Ducks had a record 720 yards in total offense.

Oregon went to the Rose Bowl last season as the Pac-10 champions before several players ran afoul of the law, including quarterback Jeremiah Masoli, who was dismissed from the team.

Barner was subbing for James, who was suspended for a game after pleading guilty to a misdemeanor harassment charge stemming from a conflict with an ex-girlfriend.

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PHOENIX – Gov. Jan Brewer rose to national fame defending the state’s immigration law and warning of rising violence along the U.S.-Mexico border, including a claim that headless bodies were turning up in the Arizona desert.

But the claim has come back to haunt her after her stammering debate performance in which she failed to back it up and ignored repeated questions on the issue from a scrum of reporters.

Brewer has spent the time since backtracking and trying to repair the damage done from her cringe-worthy debate against underdog challenger Terry Goddard.

“That was an error, if I said that,” the Republican told The CHICAGOPRESSRELEASE.COM on Friday. “I misspoke, but you know, let me be clear, I am concerned about the border region because it continues to be reported in Mexico that there’s a lot of violence going on and we don’t want that going into Arizona.”

She said she was referring to beheadings and other cartel-related violence in Mexico in comments she made earlier this summer about decapitated bodies found in the state’s southern region.

Brewer’s candidacy caught a big break in April, when she signed a controversial new state immigration law that put local police officers on the front lines of enforcing federal immigration law. At the time, Brewer’s primary campaign faced serious challenges, but signing the bill cleared her path to what proved to be an easy primary win on Aug. 24.

A veteran Arizona political observer said her latest gaffes may not sway many voters but could put a charge into Goddard’s campaign.

“I think it gave him an opening,” said Bruce Merrill, a longtime pollster and retired Arizona State University journalism professor.

Goddard can now play the debate clips over and over as he attacks her competence to lead Arizona.

Brewer stumbled through her opening statement of the debate Wednesday. She lost her train of thought for more than 10 painful seconds as she laughed, looked down at the table and finally regained her composure.

Goddard, who trailed by 20 points in a July poll, said he brought up the beheadings comments because Brewer hadn’t acknowledged she was wrong.

“It’s a kind of fear-mongering that has hurt our economy. It has driven jobs away,” he said. “She wouldn’t come off it.”

Brewer apparently first referred to beheadings during a June 16 interview with Fox News, talking about “the kidnappings and the extortion and the beheadings and the fact that people can’t feel safe in their community” in discussing controversy surrounding the immigration law.

She went further in a June 27 interview on Phoenix television station KPNX when asked about the earlier beheadings claim.

“Oh, our law enforcement agencies have found bodies in the desert, either buried or just lying out there, that have been beheaded,” Brewer said.

In fact, there have been beheadings in Mexico in violence associated with criminal cartels that include those active in cross-border smuggling.

And some violence has spilled over the border, including the March slaying of a southern Arizona rancher, Robert Krentz. Law enforcement officials have said they believe Krentz was killed by an illegal immigrant, likely a scout for drug smugglers.

But none of the southern Arizona coroners who handle immigrant cases have seen headless bodies.

Pima County’s Dr. Eric Peters said some people might be confused when just skulls are sometimes found in the desert, but that’s because of decomposition and animals that feed off bodies. He said it’d be clear if any one of those skulls had been severed from a body.

“You would find what we would call tool marks because you need to use some sort of tool to forcibly remove someone’s head from the spine,” he said. “You’d see saw marks,” even on skulls that have long been in the desert.

It’s not the first time the Republican governor, who became governor when Democrat Janet Napolitano resigned to became secretary of U.S. Homeland Security, has drawn criticism for exaggerated remarks. In June, she said most illegal immigrants entering Arizona are being used to transport drugs across the border, an assertion panned by most people who study immigration.

A Republican legislator who was the prime sponsor of Arizona’s immigration law said Brewer’s critics were just playing games and ignoring the real issue — violence bleeding across the border into the United States.

“I can tell you there’s been 300 to 500 beheadings and dismemberments along that border,” state Sen. Russell Pearce said Thursday. “It is a national security concern, yet we’re worried about this game-playing, this word-smithing.”

Ariz. governor says she was wrong about beheadings (AP) | Chicago Press Release Services - Chicago's leading press release newswire service; professional press release services, press release distribution and newswire services.

VINEYARD HAVEN, Massachusetts (AFP) – President Barack Obama’s August 31 address marking the end of US combat operations in Iraq will be delivered from the Oval Office, a senior official said Wednesday.

The official said the speech in the Oval office, the most solemn setting for a presidential address, was to take place Tuesday at 8:00 pm (0000 GMT).

Obama has used the august setting just once so far during his presidency, on June 15, during a nationally-broadcast speech on the BP Gulf of Mexico oil spill disaster.

Obama’s Iraq speech was to mark the exit of combat troops, a key milestone after more than 4,400 American troops killed and many billions of dollars spent ousting Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein in 2003 and quelling the ensuing sectarian and Al-Qaeda violence that ripped the country apart.

There are currently 52,000 American soldiers in Iraq and the army is close to completing a major withdrawal of troops by the end of August — when numbers will fall to 50,000 — as it declares an end to its combat mission here.

US troop levels are now less than a third of the peak figure of around 170,000 during the US military “surge” of 2007, when Iraq was in the midst of a brutal Shiite-Sunni sectarian war that cost tens of thousands of Iraqi lives.

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LAS VEGAS – A 22-year-old Mexico woman won the Miss Universe pageant Monday night after donning a flowing red gown and telling an audience it’s important to teach kids family values.

Jimena Navarrete of Guadalajara was first contestant to answer an interview question onstage and the last of 83 standing in the headline-grabbing pageant on the Las Vegas Strip.

“I want to give my parents a big hug,” she said at a news conference after the pageant. “There was a lot of effort and a lot of sacrifice.”

The train of her single-strap dress floated behind her like a sheet as she walked during the evening gown competition. Before that, she smiled in a violet bikini as she confidently strutted across the stage.

Asked by Olympic gold-medal figure skater Evan Lysacek how she felt about unsupervised Internet use, Navarrete said the Internet is important but parents need to be careful and watch over their kids.

“I do believe that Internet is an indispensable, necessary tool for the present time,” she said through an interpreter. “We must be sure to teach them the values that we learned as a family.”

First runner-up was Miss Jamaica Yendi Phillipps, while second runner-up was Miss Australia Jesinta Campbell.

Navarrete said she didn’t expect to win.

“I did feel surprised,” she said. “I was like in a state of shock.”

Navarrete — who’s been modeling since she was 15 — is Mexico’s second Miss Universe. Lupita Jones of Mexico won the title in 1991. Navarrete replaces Miss Universe 2009 Stefania Fernandez of Venezuela.

Navarrete’s win thwarted Miss Venezuela Marelisa Gibson from giving the South American country a third consecutive victory. Neither Gibson nor Miss USA Rima Fakih made the top 15 finalists.

Navarrete was immediately congratulated on Twitter by Mexican President Felipe Calderon and his wife, Margarita Zavala.

“Congratulations to Jimena Navarrete for her deserved victory as Miss Universe,” Calderon said. “This will serve Mexico, (and) our image as a country.”

With fans in some 190 countries watching on television and keeping tabs on social networks, Navarrete and her competitors introduced themselves while wearing over-the-top national costumes. They then danced in silver and black dresses for the show’s opening number before the top 15 finalists were announced.

The final 15 walked in swimsuits while Cirque du Soleil musicians played Elvis Presley songs including “Viva Las Vegas.” The last 10 impressed in their gowns while John Legend and the Roots played a soulful medley including “Save Room.”

By the end of the show, seven of the top 10 trending topics on Twitter had to do with the pageant, its contestants, its judges or owner Donald Trump. The mogul co-owns the pageant with TV network NBC.

The show was without any major gaffes, except for Miss Philippines’ answer when asked what her biggest mistake in life was and how she fixed it.

“In my 22 years of existence, I can say there is nothing major,” Venus Raj said.

Before the pageant, Raj was rated among the top contestants in an online poll on the pageant’s website. She finished in fifth place.

Navarrete won a package of prizes including an undisclosed salary, a luxury New York apartment with living expenses, a one-year scholarship to the New York Film Academy with housing after her reign, plus jewelry, clothes and shoes fit for a beauty champion.

Campbell won the Miss Congeniality Universe award. Miss Thailand Fonthip Watcharatrakul won Miss Photogenic Universe and a second award for having the best national costume.

Fakih, a 24-year-old Lebanese immigrant from Dearborn, Mich., spurred celebrations among Arab-Americans when she won Miss USA. Pageant records aren’t detailed enough to show whether Fakih is the first Arab-American, Muslim or immigrant to win Miss USA.

Miss USA has not been named Miss Universe since Brook Lee won the title in 1997.

Lysacek was one of this year’s nine celebrity judges. The others were actresses Jane Seymour and Chynna Phillips; actors Chazz Palminteri and William Baldwin; magician Criss Angel; MSNBC anchor Tamron Hall; drummer Shiela E.; and supermodel Niki Taylor.

___

Associated Press writer Olga Ramirez in Mexico City contributed to this report.

22-year-old Mexico woman crowned Miss Universe (AP) | Chicago Press Release Services - Chicago's leading press release newswire service; professional press release services, press release distribution and newswire services.

US government scientists yesterday raised questions about claims of vast plumes of oil hovering beneath the surface of the Gulf of Mexico as they issued a report saying that 75% of the worst spill in American history has been cleaned up or naturally dispersed.

The report by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration suggests that the remaining oil is now so diluted that it is no longer a big threat.

The White House said it had a “high degree of confidence” in the findings. But critics were swift to point out that the estimates still leave about 1m barrels of oil in the Gulf – more than the entire size of the country’s second worst oil spill – while the report shows that only about one-third of the oil was actually removed by the vast cleanup effort.

According to the NOAA report, burning, skimming and pumping from the wellhead to ships removed about 25% of the estimated 5m barrels of oil that poured into the sea for three months after an explosion on the Deepwater Horizon rig that killed 11 workers. A similar amount “naturally evaporated or dissolved”.

The NOAA report said: “Just less than one quarter (24%) was dispersed (either naturally or as a result of operations) as microscopic droplets into Gulf waters.

“The residual amount – just over one quarter (26%) – is either on or just below the surface as light sheen and weathered tarballs, has washed ashore or been collected from the shore, or is buried in sand and sediments. Oil in the residual and dispersed categories is in the process of being degraded.”

The report was compiled with the assistance of more than 25 of the US’s best government and independent scientists.

It says that 5% of the oil was burned, 3% skimmed and 8% removed by chemical dispersant. About 17% was removed after BP was finally able to attach a pipeline to the wellhead a mile below the surface of the sea and pump it on to ships.

The NOAA said dispersal of the oil was helped by local conditions and the relatively light oil spewing from the well.

“It is well-known that bacteria that break down the dispersed and weathered surface oil are abundant in the Gulf of Mexico, in large part because of the warm water, the favourable nutrient and oxygen levels and the fact that oil enters the Gulf of Mexico through natural seeps regularly,” the agency said.

In contrast, another big disaster, the 1989 Exxon Valdez spill, was made worse by heavier oil and colder seas and climate.

The NOAA’s assertions will raise questions about early claims by some environmentalists that vast plumes of oil were hovering below the sea surface in the Gulf. BP had claimed that they did not exist.

The report does not describe any such plumes, speaking instead of “diffuse clouds”.

“All of the naturally dispersed oil and some of the oil that was chemically dispersed remained well below the surface in diffuse clouds where it began to dissipate further and biodegrade,” it said.

“Previous analyses have shown evidence of diffuse clouds of dispersed oil between 3,300 and 4,300ft 1,000-1,300 metres in very low concentrations (parts per million or less), moving in the direction of known ocean currents and decreasing with distance from the wellhead.”

Yesterday, BP said that it has not made its own assessments of the environmental impact of the spill and that others would have to draw their own conclusions about whether claims of vast oil plumes floating under the sea’s surface were accurate in light of the NOAA report.

But even as the threat from the spill is receding, there are continued questions over the spraying of 1.8m gallons of chemical dispersant, which breaks the oil into tiny particles that hover below the water’s surface, where natural bacteria eat them.

The Deepwater Horizon spill was nearly 20 times larger than the Exxon Valdez disaster but so far it has affected a much smaller area of coastline. Officials say that this is largely due to the spraying of dispersant.

Some scientists say that the effects of the dispersant are less harmful, or no worse, than the oil itself.

The US Environmental Protection Agency released test results earlier this week showing that the impact of dispersant on shrimp and fish were not noticeably more toxic than the effect of oil.

But some environmentalists say that the tests do not measure the longterm effects of chemicals on sealife.

The US Senate’s environment committee yesterday began a hearing on BP’s use of dispersant. In May, the EPA ordered the company to greatly reduce its use of the chemicals and to cease spraying them on the water’s surface except in “rare cases”.

But the agency relaxed its ruling as more oil washed up on the coast.

Scientists at the NOAA are preparing a report on the long-term effect of dispersant which is likely to figure in negotiations between BP and Washington over compensation payments for cleaning up the environment.

Originally reported by the Guardian. Read the original article here.

Gulf oil spill: US scientists reject talk of plumes and report 75% of slick has gone | Chicago Press Release Services - Chicago's leading press release newswire service; professional press release services, press release distribution and newswire services.

BP claimed today that it has successfully plugged the ruptured Gulf of Mexico oil well, for now at least, using a “static kill” technique.

The procedure, which involves pumping heavy mud into the top of the capped well, began last night. It was stopped this morning after the operation went to plan.

BP said the breakthrough was a “significant milestone”, but cautioned that more mud may still have to be pumped into the well.

It issued a statement saying that “the desired outcome” of the operation had been achieved as the well had “reached a static condition”.

The plugged well is being monitored to ensure it remains static, BP said. “Further pumping of mud may or may not be required depending on results observed during monitoring”, it said.

If the plug holds BP will start pumping cement into the well.

The operation is being conducted in tandem with the drilling of relief wells, which BP says is still the “ultimate solution to kill” the well. The first relief well is on course to intercept the well by the middle of this month, but drilling was halted during the static kill operation.

The US government says the well leaked 4.9 million barrels of oil before being capped last month, making it the worst environment disaster in US history.

The Deepwater Horizon well exploded in April killing 11 oil workers.

Originally reported by the Guardian. Read the original article here.

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As the visible oil in the Gulf of Mexico dwindles, the incoming boss of BP has said it could be time to scale down the vast operation to clean up the damage wreaked by the company’s Deepwater Horizon spill.

Bob Dudley, who was named this week to replace BP’s much maligned chief executive Tony Hayward, announced that the company was appointing a former head of the US federal emergency management agency, James Lee Witt, to help recover from the disaster. BP intends to attempt a “static kill” to permanently plug the well with cement on Tuesday.

Although he told reporters that BP remained fully committed to a long-term restoration of the tarnished environment, Dudley told reporters in Mississippi that it was “not too soon for a scale-back” in clean-up efforts: “You probably don’t need to see so many hazmat protective suits on the beaches.”

Virtually no new oil has leaked into the sea since BP installed a new cap on its breached Macondo well two weeks ago and some US commentators have expressed surprise at the speed with which oil appears to be disappearing from the surface of the water — a report in Time magazine asked whether the damage had been exaggerated.

But tar balls continue to emerge from the water and environmentalists remain concerned about underwater plumes of oil, not to mention the economic harm caused to shrimp fishing, tourism workers and local businesses.

Wary of his predecessor’s public relations gaffes, Dudley made no effort to downplay the problem. “Anyone who thinks this isn’t a catastrophe must be far away from it,” he said.

BP named Dudley as its new head effective from October, pushing out Hayward, who complained in an interview with Friday’s Wall Street Journal that he had been unfairly vilified. “I became a villain for doing the right thing,” said Hayward, who described BP’s spill response as a model of corporate social responsibility. “But I understand people find it easier to vilify an individual more than a company.”

Hayward enraged many Americans by saying that he wanted his life back after working on the spill for so long. Meanwhile, the actress Sandra Bullock became the latest disgruntled celebrity entangled in an oil spill controversy as she asked to be removed from a petition and video calling for national funding of Gulf restoration after discovering that the campaign was linked to a group called America’s Wetland Foundation, which is partly funded by oil companies.

Originally reported by the Guardian. Read the original article here.

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Barack Obama today becomes the first sitting US President to appear on a daytime television chatshow, reflecting on the Gulf of Mexico oil spill, the economic crisis, and the fact his soon-to-be teenage daughters still, for the moment, “like” him.

Obama’s third appearance on ABC’s The View – he was a guest when a presidential candidate in 2008 and earlier when promoting his book Dreams from My Father in 2004 – was pre-recorded yesterday and will be aired in the US today.

The View has been compared to the UK’s Loose Women, but with a harder edge and more focus on news. Obama is not the only person making their return today – the show’s creator, executive producer, and co-host Barbara Walters will make her first appearance since having heart surgery in May.

In snippets released by ABC prior to the show airing, Obama walked out to the now seemingly obligatory screams and cheers from the audience before kissing all five of the show’s female hosts – including Whoopi Goldberg.

“Well this is fun,” Obama exclaimed, before immediately being brought back to earth by the 80-year-old Walters, one of the most revered broadcast journalists in the US.

“Well we hope so,” Walters said. “But you know you’ve gone through a little bit of a beating over the last month, do you really think being on a show with five women who never shut up is going to be calming?”

Unperturbed, the president claimed he had been “trying to find a show that Michelle Obama actually watched”, adding: “And so I thought this is it, right here.”

Despite Walters’ warning, the footage released so far suggest the appearance was actually relatively calming, with Obama appearing relaxed, talking about family life in the White House.

Asked by Walters to describe “what has been the rose, and what has been the thorn in the last month”, the president was quick to describe his floral moment.

“The rose has to be a couple of days we took in Maine with Michelle, Sasha and Malia, and we went on bike rides and hikes,” he said.

“The girls are getting old enough now where they’re not quite teenagers yet, so they still like you,” he explained, to laughter from the audience.

“They’re full of opinions and ideas and observations, and its just a great age.”

Describing the thorn, Obama had to think a little harder – protesting “where do I begin here”.

“Obviously the country has gone through a tough stretch since I took office,” he said.

The president recalled the “non-stop effort” to stabilise the economy over the last 20 months, adding that the oil spill, two wars and the H1N1 pandemic had also had to be managed, however he insisted that “as much as you Walters said it’s been tough for me, the truth is it’s not tough for me”.

“I’ve got people, pundits on the news who may say things about me, but you think what the American people have gone through . . . those are the folks who I draw inspiration from.”

“So I don’t spend a lot of time worrying about me, I spend a lot of time worrying about them.”

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LONDON (CHICAGOPRESSRELEASE.COM) – BP Chief Executive Tony Hayward will collect a pay and pension package worth at least 11.8 million pounds ($18.03 million) when he steps down from his role at the company, the Times newspaper reported on Sunday.

The Times said Hayward will be giving up 546,000 share options and a maximum of 2 million shares in the company under a long-term incentive plan, now worth an estimated 8 million pounds.

A BP spokesman dismissed the report as “rumors,” adding that Hayward remained chief executive and had full support of the board.

BP has decided Hayward should step down over his handling of the Gulf of Mexico oil spill and his departure could be announced in the next 36 hours, sources close to the company said.

BP’s board is due to meet in London tomorrow to discuss a plan for Hayward to step down and be replaced by Bob Dudley, a senior U.S. executive who is currently managing the oil spill response operation, the sources said.

(Reporting by Karolina Tagaris; editing by Diane Craft)

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BP has rejected accusations of muzzling the scientists and academics it has hired to help fight hundreds of lawsuits relating to the gulf of Mexico oil spill.

The American Association of University Professors claims the oil giant is seeking to “buy the silence” of the scientific community in its fight against litigation.

But BP says it is only protecting confidential information and is not trying to prevent the discussion of scientific data.

A copy of the contract issued by BP to scientists, obtained by the BBC, says they cannot publish the research they conduct for BP or speak about the data for at least three years, or until the government gives the final approval to the company’s restoration plan for the gulf.

It also states that scientists may perform research for other agencies only so long as it does not conflict with the work they are doing for BP, and that they must take instructions from lawyers offering the contracts and other in-house counsel at the oil company.

Cary Nelson, president of the American Association of University Professors, criticised the contract. He told the BBC: “This is really one huge corporation trying to buy faculty silence in a comprehensive way.”

Bob Shipp, head of marine sciences at the University of South Alabama and one of the scientists approached by BP’s lawyers, said the company wanted to hire his whole department.

“They contacted me and said we would like to have your department interact to develop the best restoration plan possible after this oil spill,” he said. “We laid the ground rules – that any research we did, we would have to take total control of the data, transparency and the freedom to make those data available to other scientists and subject to peer review. They left and we never heard back from them.”

BP said that it had hired a number of experts to help with the lawsuits, as well as a number of national and local scientists with expertise in the resources of the gulf of Mexico to help in restoration work.

“These scientists are helping us collect and understand data about the impacts of the oil spill on the natural resources and to plan for restoration of those resources,” BP said.

“As is customary, we have asked these experts (more than a dozen) to treat information from BP counsel as confidential. However, BP does not take the position that environmental data are confidential.

“Moreover, BP does not place restrictions on academics speaking about scientific data.”

Seven federal judges next week will meet attorneys in Boise, Idaho, to try and decide whether or how to consolidate more than 200 federal civil lawsuits filed by a range of claimant from fishermen to injured rig workers, oil-rig owner Transocean and other contractors tied to the spill.

The judges will consider two key questions: where the cases will be heard and who will preside over them.

The lawsuits range from civil racketeering and personal-injury suits to claims from out-of-work shrimpers and owners of now-vacant hotels on the gulf shore.

The cost of the spill to BP has already exceeded $3.1bn (£2bn), and the company has pledged some of its assets as security to the US government while it builds up a promised $20bn compensation fund. Analysts at Goldman Sachs estimate the final bill for the disaster caused by the explosion on the Deepwater Horizon rig, which killed 11 workers, could run to $70bn.

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