FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Stan Howard
Phone: 215-419-7027
Philadelphia, PA - May 15, 2007

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has granted an Experimental Use Permit (EUP) for Arkema’s new soil fumigant, called Paladin™. The permit will allow formulations of this new active ingredient to be evaluated by designated growers on commercial farms in Florida, Georgia, and North Carolina. The permit is a non-selling, non-crop destruct EUP that enables Arkema’s distributor, United Phosphorus Inc. (UPI), to provide Paladin™ to growers previously selected to participate under the EUP.

Paladin™ is a novel pre-plant soil fumigant for the treatment of weeds, soil-borne plant pathogens and nematodes in soils to be planted with vegetable and fruit crops where plastic-culture is used for fumigation. The new fumigant is not yet registered with U.S. EPA for use by the general public and may only be used under the terms of the EUP by its authorized participants.

“We are very excited about the performance of Paladin™ in more than 150 small-scale field trials and we expect the product to become an attractive substitute for methyl bromide in appropriate applications,” said Arkema’s Clem McKown, director of business development for the Thiochemicals business unit. ”The EUP grant is an important milestone in the commercial development of Paladin™”.

The EUP permit is for limited use of Paladin™ on 200 total acres in Florida, Georgia, and North Carolina. UPI will be evaluating the new fumigant alone and in combination with chloropicrin for efficacy and marketable yield in direct comparison to methyl bromide in this program. Crops being evaluated in this program will include eggplant, cucumber, melons, peppers, tomatoes, squash, and strawberries where plastic film is used for fumigation.

UPI will provide product stewardship, storage & handling, and transportation training for Paladin™ EUP participants. Applicators using Paladin™ under this EUP will be required to participate in UPI’s formal training program.

UPI is one of North America’s leading suppliers of post-patent crop protection technologies with a product portfolio that includes generic products as well as branded products such as Surflan and Ultra Blazer herbicides. UPI is a subsidiary of United Phosphorus Limited, India, one of the world’s 10 largest producers and marketers of crop protection and pest control products, including herbicides, insecticides, grain fumigants, fungicides and rodenticides. UPI North America is based in King of Prussia, PA.

A global chemical player, Arkema consists of three coherent and related business segments: Vinyl Products, Industrial Chemicals, and Performance Products. Present in over 40 countries with 17,000 employees, Arkema had sales of €5.7 billion (euros) in 2006. With its six research centers in France, the United States and Japan, and internationally recognized brands, Arkema holds leadership positions in its principal markets. Arkema is present in North America through its subsidiary Arkema Inc., headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA.

PALADIN SOIL FUMIGANT IS FOR EXPERIMENTAL USE ONLY: Sale of this product is prohibited absent registration with the U.S. EPA for use by the general public. This information is not intended to induce the sale of this product.

Wes Perdue North American Product Manager, Fumigants United Phosphorus Inc. Tel: 276.228.4188

Clem McKown Director, Business Development, Thiochemicals Arkema Inc. Tel: 215.419.7743