Nalco Holding Company Receives Early Termination of HSR Waiting Period for Merger with Ecolab

Nalco Holding NLC announced today that is has received notice from the United States Federal Trade Commission of early termination of the waiting period under the Hart Scott Rodino Antitrust Act of 1976 in connection with the previously announced merger of Nalco and Ecolab Inc. ECL. The merger agreement is subject to customary regulatory and shareholder approvals and is expected to close in the fourth quarter of 2011.