news, people, new membranes, mergers and acquisition Millipore Optimizes Protein Fractionation Using Ultrafiltration October 20, 2006 Millipore Corporation today announced the development of a protocol for efficiently compartmentalizing protein solutions using ultrafiltration in a centrifugal mode. Traditional fractionation techniques utilize size-exclusion chromatography, which is both laborious and time intensive. Comparatively, the new method confirms the advantage of speed and efficiency through a combination of Millipore’s Amicon® Ultra centrifugal devices and expertise. >>more... CH2M HILL Chosen by City of Minneapolis to Deliver North America's Largest Pressurized UF Drinking Water Plant October 18, 2006 CH2M HILL, a global full-service engineering, construction, and operations firm, has been unanimously selected by the City of Minneapolis to design, manage construction and commission the Fridley Membrane Filtration Plant (FMFP). >>more... FilmTec Corporation Announces the Successful Start-Up of its Manufacturing Facility Midland, MI - September 07, 2006 FilmTec Corporation, a subsidiary of The Dow Chemical Company, announced today the successful start-up of its state-of-the-art manufacturing facility at Edina, Minnesota. This expansion provides increased capacity and improved product performance of FILMTEC™ reverse osmosis (RO) membranes to meet growing demand. >>more... Long Beach Desalination Technology to Receive U.S. Patent Protection Sept. 7, 2006 The United States Patent Office (USPTO) has issued a Notice of Allowance for Patent Protection for a groundbreaking seawater desalination process developed by Long Beach Water Department engineers. The Two-stage Nanofiltration Process, or Long Beach Method, as it has become known, has been demonstrated to be 20 to 30 percent more energy efficient than Reverse Osmosis, >>more... Dow Signs Exclusive Licensing Agreement to Commercialize ZDD Desalination Process Technology July 31, 2006 The Dow Chemical Company announced that it has signed a licensing option and evaluation agreement with South Carolina-based ZDD, Incorporated, giving Dow exclusive rights to elect an exclusive license to ZDD, Incorporated’s Zero Discharge Desalination (ZDD) process technology for desalination of seawater and brackish water. >>more... Dow Signs Agreement to Acquire Zhejiang Omex Environmental Engineering Co. Ltd. June 29, 2006 The acquisition of OEE will allow Dow to expand into three critical, enabling component technologies for water treatment: Ultrafiltration (UF), Membrane Bio-Reactor (MBR) membranes, and Electrodeionization (EDI). >>more... Vaperma Inc., a Canadian gas separation membrane company, closes a C$ 7.0 million financing round. June 19, 2006 Vaperma Inc. is active in the development and the commercialization of advanced gas separation solutions for the production of fuel ethanol, biodiesel and natural gas. >>more... Dow Offers FILMTEC Membrane Elements with Extended pH Limits for Cleaning June 16, 2006 FILMTEC membrane elements from FilmTec Corporation, a subsidiary of The Dow Chemical Company, are guaranteed to withstand a wider pH range of 1-13 for membrane cleaning solutions, leading to increased efficiency in the cleaning process, improved water treatment system performance and extended membrane life. >>more... Joint Venture Established to Manufacture Hollow-Fiber Membranes for Medical Applications June 1, 2006 - Kuraray Medical Inc. and Asahi Kasei Medical Co., Ltd. have concluded a basic agreement on the establishment of a joint venture company for the purpose of manufacturing hollow-fiber membranes for medical applications that employ ethylene vinyl alcohol polymer (EVOH) resin that is manufactured and sold by Kuraray under the EVAL brand name. >>more... GE Completes ZENON Environmental Acquisition June 1, 2006 - GE Completes ZENON Environmental Acquisition; Expands Water Purification, Wastewater Treatment, Reuse & Desalination Pre-Treatment Platform >>more... H2O Innovation plans to acquire assets of Membrane Systems Corporation May 10, 2006 - H2O Innovation announces proposed equity financing of CAN$10M and plans to acquire assets of Membrane Systems Corporation >>more... Liqui-Flux Pressure Driven Ultrafiltration Module From Membrana May 5, 2006 - Membrana has developed a new innovative 12-inch ultrafiltration membrane module: The Liqui-Flux ultrafiltration module incorporates a hydrophilic Polyethersulfone (PES) hollow fiber membrane with an inner diameter of 0.8 mm and a MWCO of 80 kDa. >>more... Millipore announces investments in China and India Mar 15, 2006 Millipore Announces Investments to Support Growth in Emerging International Markets; Company adds new management, expands international offices, and builds new manufacturing capabilities >>more... General Electric Agrees to Acquire ZENON Environmental March 14, 2006 - GE Water & Process Technologies, a unit of General Electric Company and ZENON Environmental Inc. announced today that they have signed an agreement in connection with the acquisition by way of Plan of Arrangement of ZENON by GE in an all cash transaction for Cdn $24.00 per share, valuing the transaction at approximately Cdn $760 million, or US $656 million. >>more... World's Largest Desalination Plant Running With Filmtec(TM) Membranes is Now Fully Commissioned Feb. 7, 2006 The second phase of the world's largest desalination plant located in Ashkelon, Israel,is now successfully running. >>more... Millipore Optimizes Protein Fractionation Using Ultrafiltration BILLERICA, Mass., October 20, 2006 --- Millipore Corporation today announced the development of a protocol for efficiently compartmentalizing protein solutions using ultrafiltration in a centrifugal mode. Traditional fractionation techniques utilize size-exclusion chromatography, which is both laborious and time intensive. Comparatively, the new method confirms the advantage of speed and efficiency through a combination of Millipore’s Amicon® Ultra centrifugal devices and expertise. Amicon Ultra centrifugal devices enable researchers to fractionate protein mixtures quickly and easily due to the product design. The bi-vertical housing limits membrane polarization, while the hydrophilic microstructure of low-binding Ultracel® ultrafiltration membrane enables efficient protein separation. This method expedites the fractionation process by minimizing process steps such as setting up columns, optimizing column flow rates, and collecting and concentrating various fractions. Fractionation is a process for separating a mixture into its component parts to eliminate the complexity of the proteome. Common applications for this technique include biomarker analysis from serum, protein purification, 2D-PAGE and sample preparation for mass spectrometry analysis for those scientists in university, pharmaceutical and biomedical laboratories performing protein research. Millipore’s Bioscience division delivers complete solutions and services for pharmaceutical, academic, life science, clinical and government research laboratories. With more than 50 years of experience, Millipore manufactures and markets several thousands of products that accelerate drug screening and improve sample preparation. For more information, please contact Millipore Tech Service at 1-800-MILLIPORE, 781-533-6000 or visit www.millipore.com. About Millipore Millipore is a leading provider of products and services that improve productivity in biopharmaceutical manufacturing and in clinical, analytical and research laboratories. The Company is organized in two operating divisions. Its Bioprocess Division helps enables pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies to optimize their manufacturing productivity, ensure the quality of drugs, and scale up the production of difficult-to-manufacture biologics. Its Bioscience division helps to optimize laboratory productivity and workflows. Its products and enabling technologies that are used in the laboratory are essential for the research and development of biologically based life science therapeutics. Millipore has a deep understanding of its customers’ research and manufacturing process needs, and offers reliable and innovative tools, technologies and services. The Company is part of the S&P 500 index and employs approximately 5,800 employees in more than 47 offices worldwide. Amicon, Ultracel and Millipore are registered trademarks of Millipore Corporation. Media Contact: Karen Gobler, Communications Manager, Millipore Corporation Tel. 978-762-5294 For additional information on Millipore Corporation, please visit its website at www.millipore.com CH2M HILL Chosen by City of Minneapolis to Deliver North America's Largest Pressurized UF Drinking Water Plant CH2M HILL, a global full-service engineering, construction, and operations firm, has been unanimously selected by the City of Minneapolis to design, manage construction and commission the Fridley Membrane Filtration Plant (FMFP). The plant, when completed, will be the largest drinking water plant in North America using pressurized ultrafiltration (UF) membrane technology, having a capacity of 95 million gallons of water per day (mgd). The FMFP is the next phase of Minneapolis Water Work's ongoing program to upgrade their water treatment facilities in order to provide the citizens of Greater Minneapolis with the highest quality drinking water through the use of membrane technology. The Fridley Membrane Filtration Plant will utilize a pressurized membrane system to be supplied by Pall Corporation. The Pall system uses banks of Microza™ modules that filter water through hollow fibers, providing a robust, physical barrier to waterborne pathogens and other particulate contaminants that may be present in the plant source water. The FMFP capacity will range from 70 to 95 mgd, resulting from the variable raw water temperatures experienced in Minneapolis. The plant will be integrated into the overall treatment works that include conventional lime softening, recarbonation, coagulation, flocculation and sedimentation prior to the membranes. The plant is expected to be fully operational in 2011. CH2M HILL has implemented membrane technologies for several drinking water plants across the country. In addition to the FMFP, the company is currently completing design and construction of the 100-mgd Twin Oaks Valley Water Treatment Plant in northern San Diego County and the 96-mgd expansion to the Lakeview Water Treatment Plant in the Greater Toronto, Ontario area. Both of these plants incorporate ultrafiltration along with other advanced treatment technologies, and with the FMFP, represent the three largest ultrafiltration-based treatment facilities in the world. John Corsi, Director, Corporate Communications, Tel. +1.720.286.2087 www.ch2m.com FilmTec Corporation Announces the Successful Start-Up of its Manufacturing Facility Midland, MI - September 07, 2006 FilmTec Corporation, a subsidiary of The Dow Chemical Company, announced today the successful start-up of its state-of-the-art manufacturing facility at Edina, Minnesota. This expansion provides increased capacity and improved product performance of FILMTEC™ reverse osmosis (RO) membranes to meet growing demand. “We continue to see rising demand from our global RO customers, particularly in the industrial and municipal segments,” said Karen Dobson, global market manager, FILMTEC membranes. “We are proud of our on-track completion of this project, and our new capabilities in terms of capacity, product quality, and process technologies that allow us to support this growth more efficiently.” The expansion has progressed on track since construction began in 2004, with partial production underway since early 2006. Minnesota was chosen for the expansion after a rigorous process that looked at various locations around the world. “The Minneapolis area provides an excellent business environment and strong workforce that enables us to successfully compete in this global economy,” said Ian Barbour, Dow Water Solutions general manager and FilmTec Corporation chief executive officer. The expanded facility operates with leading-edge process and manufacturing technology and provides more than double the production capacity of FilmTec's existing plant. It contains additional membrane lines and new fabrication cells, adding a higher degree of automation to FilmTec's already automated production capabilities. “Our level of automation at the plant is second to none, and along with process innovations and integrated quality systems, we are able to offer a more consistent, higher performing product,” explained Dobson. Investment in the FilmTec facility is consistent with the company’s commitment to improving the cost performance of membrane technology, while enhancing value for the customer. “As the water treatment market continues to grow, we will continue to invest in our target segments and utilize our expertise in component manufacturing and application to reduce system life-cycle costs and improve functionality in purifying water,” said Dobson. FilmTec Corporation will continue to produce the highest quality products that set the industry standard for performance, consistency and reliability. FilmTec Corporation is a subsidiary of The Dow Chemical Company. Established in Minnetonka in 1977, FilmTec was purchased by Dow in 1985 and is the leading producer of reverse osmosis and nanofiltration membrane elements for industrial, municipal, commercial and home drinking water treatment and purification and other specialty applications. FilmTec employs approximately 450 people in the Minneapolis area. About The Dow Chemical Company Dow is a diversified chemical company that harnesses the power of science and technology to constantly improve what is essential to human progress. The Company offers a broad range of innovative products and services to customers in more than 175 countries, helping them to provide everything from fresh water, food and pharmaceuticals to paints, packaging and personal care products. Built on a commitment to its principles of sustainability, Dow has annual sales of $46 billion and employs 42,000 people worldwide. References to "Dow" or the "Company" mean The Dow Chemical Company and its consolidated subsidiaries unless otherwise expressly noted. ®™* Trademark of The Dow Chemical Company ("Dow") or an affiliated company of Dow For Editorial Information: Eric Grates, The Dow Chemical Company, +1 (989) 636-5391 Anisha Shah, Gibbs & Soell, Inc., +1 (212) 697-2600 www.FilmTec.com Long Beach Desalination Technology to Receive U.S. Patent Protection LONG BEACH, CA - September 7, 2006 The United States Patent Office (USPTO) has issued a Notice of Allowance for Patent Protection for a groundbreaking seawater desalination process developed by Long Beach Water Department engineers. The Two-stage Nanofiltration Process, or Long Beach Method, as it has become known, has been demonstrated to be 20 to 30 percent more energy efficient than Reverse Osmosis, the current state-of-the-art technology, and is the subject of more intense research and development activity at the nation’s largest, fully functional seawater desalination research and development facility located in Long Beach. It is anticipated that the Patent will be issued in the first quarter of next year. Major foreign patents are still pending. The new generation Long Beach desalination technology was developed by former Long Beach Water Department assistant general manager Diem Vuong, who retired last year, but remains closely involved in furthering the development of this promising technology as a consultant at the Department’s seawater desalination facility located in southeast Long Beach. “The award of this patent is a true testament to the genius of Diem Vuong and to the depth of knowledge and innovation of one of the greatest engineering teams in the industry,” stated Kevin L. Wattier, General Manager of the Long Beach Water Department. Vern Schooley of Fulwider Patton, who represents the Long Beach Water Department in its effort to secure patent protection, hailed the announcement by the USPTO as a significant development for the City. "The Patent Office's communication of a 'Notice of llowance' lends itself to possible licensing opportunities for the City.” High operating costs, due primarily to high rates of power consumption, and environmental issues related to open-ocean intake and discharge have rendered seawater desalination cost/environmentally prohibitive in Long Beach. Although significant advancements in technology have extended membrane life while lowering energy requirements, overall energy consumption remains extremely high due to the very high-pressure requirements of reverse osmosis membranes. Using a small 9,000 gallon-per-day pilot-scale desalter, the Long Beach Water Department has reduced the overall energy requirement (by 20 to 30 percent) of seawater desalination using a relatively low-pressure two staged nano-filtration process, developed by Long Beach Water engineers, known as the "Long Beach Method." This unique process is now being tested on a larger scale. With funding assistance from the United State Bureau of Reclamation and the Los Angeles Department of Water & Power, Long Beach Water is conducting research at a constructed 300,000 gallon-per-day, fully operational facility incorporating the two-stage nano-filtration process. This large-scale facility is needed to verify the energy savings when employing full-scale membranes and energy recovery units, among other things. The goal is to verify energy savings of the two-stage nano-filtration process and to optimize the process so that it can be duplicated. Together with its funding partners, Long Beach Water is also undertaking design and construction of an Under Ocean Floor Intake and Discharge Demonstration System, the first of its kind in the world, that will seek to demonstrate that viable, environmentally responsive intake and discharge systems can be developed along the coast of California. The Long Beach Water Department is an urban Southern California water supply agency and the standard in water conservation and environmental stewardship. Contact: Ryan J. Alsop, +1 (562) 570-2314 www.lbwater.org Dow Signs Exclusive Licensing Agreement to Commercialize ZDD Desalination Process Technology Midland, MI - July 31, 2006 The Dow Chemical Company announced that it has signed a licensing option and evaluation agreement with South Carolina-based ZDD, Incorporated, giving Dow exclusive rights to elect an exclusive license to ZDD, Incorporated’s Zero Discharge Desalination (ZDD) process technology for desalination of seawater and brackish water. The patent-pending ZDD process technology utilizes a unique combination of reverse osmosis or nanofiltration membranes and electrodialysis cells that enables water treatment facilities to recover potentially saleable salts and greater amounts of pure filtered water. It also minimizes or eliminates the production of concentrated brine, the disposal of which represents a substantial cost associated with water treatment in coastal and, in particular, inland locations. “Desalination is an extremely efficient and viable process for addressing global water shortages, and this multi-faceted technology brings additional advantages in energy efficiency, low cost and zero or near-zero liquid discharge,” said Karen Dobson, global market manager, FILMTEC™ membranes. “By gaining exclusive rights to this technology, Dow can now provide an enhanced component offering, allowing us to be an even more valuable supplier to our global OEM customer base.” As part of the ZDD process, brine streams containing sparingly soluble salts are treated with electrodialysis to separate the anions and cations of the salts into two separate streams. These ions are then paired with appropriate cations and anions to form salts that are more soluble in the two streams. Additional pure water is recovered through this process from the separated brine streams and ultimately the concentrates are remixed and the insoluble salts that precipitate are separated and potentially sold. ZDD technology was originally developed by Thomas A. Davis, Ph.D., Department of Chemical Engineering at the University of South Carolina and was licensed to ZDD, Incorporated by the University as part of its program to encourage commercialization of its technologies. Davis, research professor and Walker Rast, alumnus of the university, are currently the principals of ZDD, Incorporated. The University has filed two patents on the technology, one for use with seawater and the other for inland desalination and agricultural water treatment. The ZDD, Incorporated agreement is the latest move by Dow that demonstrates its commitment to maintaining a leadership role in the water purification industry. The company recently acquired Zhejiang Omex Environmental Engineering Ltd. in China, giving it access to Ultrafiltration (UF), Membrane Bio-Reactor (MBR) membranes, and Electrodeionization (EDI) technologies. The company also announced a major expansion of its FILMTEC membrane production capabilities in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Dow provides highly productive and effective separations solutions based on FILMTEC reverse osmosis (RO) and nanofiltration (NF) elements, DOWEX™ ion exchange resins and ADSORBSIA™ GTO™ titanium-based arsenic removal media. Dow is the only global manufacturer of both membrane and ion exchange products. For Editorial Information: Eric Grates, The Dow Chemical Company, (989) 636-5391 Anisha Shah, Gibbs & Soell, Inc., (212) 697-2600, ext. 228 www.dow.com Dow Signs Agreement to Acquire Zhejiang Omex Environmental Engineering Co. Ltd. Midland, MI and Huzhou, Zhejiang, China - June 29, 2006 The Dow Chemical Company (NYSE: DOW) and Zhejiang Omex Environmental Engineering Co. Ltd. (OEE) today announced that Dow has agreed to acquire OEE. This acquisition establishes Dow as a leader in advanced component offerings for water purification. OEE will bring new critical components that, together with Dow's existing technology offerings, will create the framework for a new Dow Water Solutions business. Terms of the agreement have not been disclosed. The acquisition of OEE will allow Dow to expand into three critical, enabling component technologies for water treatment: Ultrafiltration (UF), Membrane Bio-Reactor (MBR) membranes, and Electrodeionization (EDI). With these technologies, Dow can now provide an enhanced component offering for its global customer base. "Dow is a leader in reverse osmosis membranes and ion exchange resins, and this further solidifies our position as a water solutions leader through additional, specialized components," said Ian Barbour, general manager, Dow Water Solutions. "Adding the technologies from OEE, along with the current expansion in FILMTEC membrane production capabilities in Minneapolis, Minnesota, further demonstrates Dow's larger commitment to the water purification industry, and our ability to continue to lead as a global component supplier and solutions provider." These new technologies also will accelerate Dow's growth in the water business. Ultrafiltration, in particular, is one of the fastest growing of these component technologies. Dow can now offer its customers easier access to these additional components and provide a higher level of integration with Dow’s existing membrane technologies. "We clearly provide the leading reverse osmosis (RO) membrane with FILMTEC elements," Barbour added. "The strategy for Dow is to expand our enabling components offering to be an even more valued supplier to our original equipment manufacturer (OEM) customer base. OEE allows Dow to move towards its strategic goals as a comprehensive component supplier for water purification." The acquisition of OEE, which is situated in Huzhou, Zhejiang, China, enables Dow to further penetrate one of the fastest growing regions for water treatment components. OEE has provided design engineering and installation for high-purity water facilities throughout China since 1995. It is one of China’s premier water treatment and design companies, specializing in pure and ultra pure water applications. With a new custom-built 20,000 square meter facility, OEE employs over 500 people, primarily in China, involved in manufacturing, design, engineering and fabrication. The mission of OEE has been to continuously improve people's living standard with its experienced water solutions expertise. Dow provides highly productive and effective separations solutions based on FILMTEC reverse osmosis (RO) and nanofiltration (NF) elements, DOWEX ion exchange resins and ADSORBSIA GTO titanium-based arsenic removal media. Dow is the only global manufacturer of both membrane and ion exchange products. Both of these technologies separate dissolved minerals and organics from solutions, producing water that meets the most stringent water purity standards today and achieving the highest quality water with lower operating costs. Water purification products from Dow are used for the full spectrum of water treatment applications, including industrial water treatment, municipal water treatment, production of ultra pure water, commercial and home drinking water purification, sweetener processing, and other selected specialty applications. They are also used in the purification of foods, pharmaceuticals and other products. About The Dow Chemical Company Dow is a diversified chemical company that harnesses the power of science and technology to improve living daily. The Company offers a broad range of innovative products and services to customers in more than 175 countries, helping them to provide everything from fresh water, food and pharmaceuticals to paints, packaging and personal care products. Built on a commitment to its principles of sustainability, Dow has annual sales of USD46 billion and employs 42,000 people worldwide. References to "Dow" or the "Company" mean The Dow Chemical Company and its consolidated subsidiaries unless otherwise expressly noted. Note: The forward-looking statements contained in this document involve risks and uncertainties that may affect the Company's operations, markets, products, services, prices and other factors as discussed in filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, economic, competitive, legal, governmental and technological factors. Accordingly, there is no assurance that the Company's expectations will be realized. The Company assumes no obligation to provide revisions to any forward-looking statements should circumstances change, except as otherwise required by securities and other applicable laws. For Editorial Information: Eric Grates, The Dow Chemical Company, (989) 636-5391 Anisha Shah, Gibbs & Soell, Inc., (212) 697-2600, ext. 228 www.dow.com Vaperma Inc., a Canadian gas separation membrane company, closes a C$ 7.0 million financing round. Development Leads to Increased Cleaning Efficiency and Improved Membrane Productivity Québec City, Québec, Canada - June 19, 2006 SAM Private Equity, a Switzerland-based venture fund specialized in cleantech and sustainability investments, led a Series A financing that totalled C$ 7.0 million. The syndicate consisted of BDC Capital and Fonds d’Investissement en Développement Durable (FIDD), two Canadian-based investment funds, and an angel investors group from Europe and Canada. Vaperma Inc. is active in the development and the commercialization of advanced gas separation solutions for the production of fuel ethanol, biodiesel and natural gas. Vaperma’s advanced polymeric membrane systems enable major energy costs savings and reduction of green house gases and benzene emissions. "The research team at Vaperma has developed and patented a polymeric membrane technology that provides a means whereby water can be separated from ethanol and natural gas in the vapor phase using less energy than the traditional distillation and solvent-based gas scrubbing processes. Our technology can save about 40% of energy costs for the production of fuel-grade ethanol and 35% of operating costs for the treatment of wet natural gas “said enthusiastically Claude Létourneau, President and CEO of Vaperma. “We have a clear value proposition for both the fuel ethanol and natural gas processing markets’’. We were very impressed by the global network and due diligence process of the SAM team. We are convinced that SAM Private Equity, FIDD and BDC Capital are the right partners to position Vaperma as a world leader in gas separation solutions. Few investors in the cleantech market cover this sector through a global network and put much emphasis on the sustainability and product life cycle of their investments. "The management team at Vaperma has demonstrated outstanding leadership qualities and commitment" said Luc Charron, Principal at SAM Private Equity Sustainability Fund II LP.Vaperma has already a lot of traction in the market place. Their Alpha product for the ethanol market will be in field trial by July 2006 and plans are underway for a demonstration project for the dehydration of natural gas. Customer validation of Vaperma value proposition is well underway. “The technology developed by Vaperma is an innovative solution that will greatly contribute to the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions’’ affirms Mrs. Andrée-Lise Méthot, President and Chief Executive Officer of FIDD. Ourinvestment is being enacted at the most appropriate stage of Vaperma and its technology’s development, a period when the “life cycle” approach will induce the greatest benefit and therefore lead to its adoption by clients in the ethanol and natural gas sectors. Vaperma is grateful to their angel investors, SOVAR, CNRC, NRCan/CANMET and CQVB for their seed investment, support and guidance. At the earliest stage of the technology development, SOVAR helped the founder-researchers to identify the first commercial applications for the membrane, to develop an IP strategy and to recruit an experienced entrepreneur CEO needed to manage the high growth start-up company. Vaperma is a cleantech Quebec-based company specialized in the development, manufacturing and commercialization of a new hollow fibre polymeric membrane that allows high selective separation of water from various gas mixtures and organic vapors. Vaperma membranes are heat and solvent resistant.Membrane based technology offers an alternative to conventional processes for the dehydration of ethanol and natural gas and the removal of CO2. By offering Vaperma gas separation systems, we provide enhanced value to our customers through its superior performance and higher economic returns. Vaperma growth strategy is to focus on continuously improving ourgas membrane separation technologies to meet the broadest needs of its customers. About SAM Private Equity: SAM Private Equity is a leading international venture capital firm focusing on emerging technologies in the energy, materials and water sectors. Founded in 2000, SAM Private Equity is a pioneer in the development of this fast growing “Cleantech” investment sector. With assets under management of around EUR 150 million, 32 portfolio companies and offices in Zurich and Montreal, SAM Private Equity today is one of the internationally leading VCs in this sector. SAM Private Equity manages two venture capital funds and two venture capital mandates of large North American institutional investors. SAM Private Equity’s investors include CDP (Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec), SwissRe, EDF (Electricité de France), Norsk Hydro, Ontario Power Generation, Hydro Quebec, Suncor and Mitsui. SAM Private Equity is part of SAM Sustainable Asset Management, headquartered in Zurich, Switzerland. About FIDD The Fonds d’investissement en développement durable (FIDD), L.P. is a private investment fund and a leader in the financing of businesses contributing to sustainable development. Founded in 2003, FIDD focuses on solutions that reduce greenhouse gas emissions by investing in clean technologies and renewable energy infrastructure. FIDD is a pioneer recognized internationally for its use of the life cycle approach not only in its investment process, but also in its ability to create value for companies in its portfolio. The Solidarity Fund QFL, Fondaction and the Fonds québécois pour le développement durable (FAQDD) are among FIDD’s investors About BDC Capital Inc. BDC Capital Inc. is a major venture capital investor in Canada, active at every stage of a company's development cycle, from seed through expansion. Its focus is on technology-based businesses with high growth potential that are positioned to become dominant players in their markets. Established in 1975, BDC Capital has invested in over 400 firms to date. It currently manages some $550 millions in venture capital investments in the life sciences, telecommunications, information technology, and advanced technology sectors, as well as investments in funds. About SOVAR SOVAR is a limited partnership whose mission is to promote the discoveries and innovations developed by researchers at Université Laval, the CHUQ and the CHRG. SOVAR's experts work in synergy with the researchers to promote their projects. The products, processes, services or technologies developed are ultimately transferred to existing companies or to new companies created to bring them to market. About CQVB The CQVB aims to stimulate, assist, guide and support at the earliest stages in the innovation process, the development and transfer of technology between researchers and small and medium-sized firms in the life sciences sector. The CQVB is a liaison and transfer centre supported by the Ministère du Développement économique, de l'Innovation et de l'Exportation du Québec (MDEIE). For information: Suzanne Roy Director, Communications & Marketing Vaperma Inc. 2111, 4e rue, Suite 101 St-Romuald (Québec) Canada, G6W 5M6 Dow Offers FILMTEC™ Membrane Elements with Extended pH Limits for Cleaning Development Leads to Increased Cleaning Efficiency and Improved Membrane Productivity Midland, MI - June 16, 2006 FILMTEC membrane elements from FilmTec Corporation, a subsidiary of The Dow Chemical Company, are guaranteed to withstand a wider pH range of 1-13 for membrane cleaning solutions, leading to increased efficiency in the cleaning process, improved water treatment system performance and extended membrane life. FILMTEC elements can be cleaned with the widest pH range in the industry, offering reverse osmosis (RO) and NF90 system owners lower cleaning costs and better system operation. Typical cleaning pH limits by other membrane manufacturers are in the range of 3.5-10, referring to limits of 2-12 as harsh cleanings. The extended pH range of FILMTEC membranes increases the efficacy of foulant removal from the membranes and leads to longer operating time between cleanings and longer membrane lifespan. Fouling and scaling due to the presence of organic and inorganic contaminants in RO feedwater is a typical occurrence in water treatment systems. “The pH and temperature tolerance of membrane elements are important factors in both selecting a membrane suitable for reliable long-term operation, and in determining an appropriate cleaning regimen for membranes. Both are critical choices to ensure successful RO operation,” said Jon Goodman, market manager for the Americas for FILMTEC™ membranes. “The unique cleaning pH range of FILMTEC membranes is of value to systems owners as it provides them with more cleaning options, increased flexibility in solutions, and reduced operating costs. Proper cleaning of reverse osmosis systems is essential and the characteristics of membrane elements play a role in cleaning capabilities.” The higher pH limit of 13 improves the removal of biofouling and organic fouling from the membranes, while the lower pH limit of 1 increases the efficiency of calcium carbonate removal. FilmTec Corporation’s inherent design and process technology enables the membrane to withstand wider pH limits. “FilmTec Corporation does not oxidize the membrane as part of its membrane manufacturing process. It is well known that oxidation of thin film composite membranes weakens the membrane structure resulting in a salt passage increase during its operating life. Cleaning at aggressive pH further weakens oxidized membranes resulting in more accelerated membrane deterioration,” continued Goodman. “Also, no membrane patching is applied in the FilmTec Corporation process and the element construction is robust.” Membrane patches such as tape or glue, applied by some membrane producers to cover up membrane defects, are weak spots. Operation and/or cleaning may loosen patches, resulting in salt passage increases. These factors have contributed to FILMTEC membranes having the widest cleaning pH limits in the industry. FilmTec Corporation is the leading producer of reverse osmosis and nanofiltration (RO/NF) membrane elements for industrial, municipal, commercial and home drinking water treatment and purification and other specialty applications. About The Dow Chemical Company Dow is a diversified chemical company that harnesses the power of science and technology to improve living daily. The Company offers a broad range of innovative products and services to customers in more than 175 countries, helping them to provide everything from fresh water, food and pharmaceuticals to paints, packaging and personal care products. Built on a commitment to its principles of sustainability, Dow has annual sales of $46 billion and employs 42,000 people worldwide. References to "Dow" or the "Company" mean The Dow Chemical Company and its consolidated subsidiaries unless otherwise expressly noted. ®™* Trademark of The Dow Chemical Company ("Dow") or an affiliated company of Dow For Editorial Information: Eric Gates, The Dow Chemical Company, 989 636 5391 www.vaperma.com Liqui-Flux Pressure Driven Ultrafiltration Module From Membrana Wuppertal Germany, May 5, 2006 Membrana, a long time leader in membrane and module technologies has developed a new innovative 12-inch ultrafiltration membrane module. It will be on display at ACHEMA 2006 in Frankfurt Germany (Hall 9.1 at booths M18-M20). The Liqui-Flux® ultrafiltration module incorporates a hydrophilic Polyethersulfone (PES) hollow fiber membrane with an inner diameter of 0.8 mm and a MWCO of 80 kDa. The distinctive three-layer membrane morphology effectively combines the critical tasks of sustained mechanical strength and excellent flux rate with outstanding removal efficiencies. When tested side-by-side with three competitive filtration devices, Liqui-Flux Modules used less than half of the energy of any of the others to deliver the same performance. The multifunctional 3-layer membrane structure utilizes the separation layer on the inner surface to control the filtration performance. The support layer, which is in the center of the membrane cross section, provides overall durability. The outside surface of the membrane, the protection layer, provides added strength and durability during backflushing. Membrana’s patented Performance Enhancing Technology (P.E.T.®) provides further strength and consistent membrane distribution within the module by intertwining additional filaments around the hollow fibers within the bundles. Liqui-Flux filtration modules have a compact design with an optimized hydrodynamic flow pattern and 61 m2 (657 ft2) of effective filtration area. This represents one of the largest surface areas available in an ultrafiltration module today. Liqui-Flux modules provide a powerful and reliable prefiltration step for Reverse Osmosis (RO) in water treatment plants. They combine economical sensibility to both the overall capital investment and the cost of ownership. Liqui-Flux® Membrane Modules are ideally suited for surface and drinking water filtration, municipal and industrial wastewater treatment, and pre-treatment of seawater and brackish water for RO. Membrana also manufactures Liqui-Cel Membrane Contactors that are used for degassing liquids in various industries. New sizes and industrial variants have been introduced in the market to accompany the high purity and FDA compliant devices already proven in the field for over 15 years. Liqui-Cel Contactors will also be on display at ACHEMA. Come see us in Hall 9.1 at booths M18-M20. Membrana is a market leader in membrane development and manufacturing. It has supplied membranes to a variety of medical and industrial markets for more than 50 years. Manufacturing facilities are located in the USA and Europe. Global markets are served through sales offices and affiliates in North America, Europe, Japan, South East Asia and China. Membrana is a wholly-owned subsidiary of POLYPORE, a growing worldwide developer, manufacturer and marketer of highly specialized polymer-based membranes used in separation and filtration processes. Press Contact: Germany Peter Steiger Manager, Sales & Marketing Industrial Separations USA Beth A. Kitteringham Marketing Manager, Industrial Separations www.membrana.com Joint Venture Established to Manufacture Hollow-Fiber Membranes for Medical Applications Kuraray Medical Inc. (Headquarters: Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo; President: Hideo Horii) and Asahi Kasei Medical Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo; President: Yasuyuki Yoshida) have concluded a basic agreement on the establishment of a joint venture company for the purpose of manufacturing hollow-fiber membranes for medical applications that employ ethylene vinyl alcohol polymer (EVOH) resin that is manufactured and sold by Kuraray under the EVAL brand name. 1.Overview of New Company (1) Company name: A-K Membrane Manufacturing Co., Ltd. (2) Representative: Tatsuo Hiyoshi (Managing Director, Asahi Kasei Medical Co., Ltd.) (3) Business activities: Manufacture and supply of hollow-fiber membranes for medical applications utilizing Kuraray’s EVOH resin (Brand name: EVAL) (4) Establishment: June 2006 (5) Production capacity: Membranes for 4 million dialyzers/year (initially 2.6 million dialyzers/year) (6) Location: Nobeoka City, Miyazaki Prefecture (7) Commencement of operations: May 2008 (planned) (8) Total investment: Approximately ¥2,500 million (Initial investment approx. ¥2,000 million) (9) Capital: ¥490 million (10) Shareholdings: Kuraray Medical Inc. (50%) Asahi Kasei Medical Co., Ltd. (50%) (11) Number of employees: Approx. 50 2. Background and Aims Both Kuraray Medical Inc. and Asahi Kasei Medical Co., Ltd. deem it essential to undertake joint capitalization of a manufacturing facility to ensure the stable supply of dialysis- and plasmapheresis-related products. (1) Kuraray Medical Inc. had been investigating sites to relocate the EVOH hollow-fiber membrane manufacturing facility that is currently within Kuraray’s Kurashiki Plant as part of reorganization plans when Asahi Kasei Medical approached Kuraray Medical with their EVOH product lineup concept. Consequently a site in an area close to Asahi Kasei Medical’s Nobeoka artificial kidney assembly plant (Oita Prefecture) was considered to be the most preferable. (2) By having products in its lineup that use EVOH hollow-fiber membranes (for their superior biocompatibility and extremely gentle dialysis treatment, particularly for those people with early symptoms and the elderly) and making full use of the supplementary effects of polysulfone hollow-fiber membranes (the global standard for high-performance membranes, particularly in its supreme ability to remove low-molecular weight proteins), Asahi Kasei Medical is bringing about a move toward the most appropriate courses of treatment at all dialysis facilities. This agreement between the two companies was brought about by the opportune timing of Kuraray Medical’s search for a new EVOH manufacturing site as part of its reorganization of the Kurashiki Plant and Asahi Kasei Medical’s plan to increase production at Nobeoka. Company Outlines 1. Kuraray Medical Inc. (1) Representative: Hideo Horii (2) Established: June 21, 2001 (3) Capital: ¥2,500 million (Kuraray Co., Ltd. 100%) (4) Headquarters: 1-1-3 Otemachi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo (5) Production plant: Kurashiki Plant (manufacture of hollow-fiber membranes for artificial kidneys, dental adhesives and dental filling resins) (6) No. of employees: Approximately 340 (as of March 31, 2006) (7) Net sales: ¥12,800 million (as of March 31, 2006) (8) Business activities: Development, manufacture and sale of artificial kidneys, plasmapheresis-related products, dental adhesives and dental filling resins and other medical devices 2. Asahi Kasei Medical Co., Ltd. (1) Representative: Yasuyuki Yoshida (2) Established: July 24, 1974 (3) Capital: ¥800 million (Asahi Kasei Pharma Corporation 100%) (Note: Asahi Kasei Pharma Corporation is wholly owned by Asahi Kasei Corporation) (4) Headquarters: 9-1 Kanda Mitoshiro-cho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo (5) Production plants: Nobeoka Plant (manufacture of hollow-fiber membranes for artificial kidneys); Oita Plant (artificial kidney manufacture and assembly); China Plant (Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, artificial kidney manufacture and assembly) (6) No. of employees: Approximately 1,700 (as of March 31, 2006) (7) Net sales: ¥40,100 million (as of March 31, 2006) (8) Business activities: Development, manufacture and sale of artificial kidneys, leukocyte reduction filters for blood transfusion, blood- and plasma-related products, PlanovaTM (virus removal filters) and other medical devices Glossary 1. Hollow-fiber membranes employing EVOH resin (Brand name: EVAL) A special feature of hollow-fiber membranes is the use of EVOH resin, which Kuraray was the first in the world to commercialize. EVAL, the brand name under which Kuraray markets such EVOH resin, is highly rated for its excellent biocompatibility, active oxygen-producing characteristics and for suppressing inflammatory response. 2. Polysulfone hollow-fiber membranes Hollow-fiber membranes that use polysulfone resin. These demonstrate high performance in removing low-molecular weight proteins such as B2-MG and have excellent biocompatibility and antithrombotic qualities. 3. Dialysis (dialysis treatment) In dialysis treatment, the patient’s blood is drawn outside the body and brought into contact with dialysis fluid through hollow-fiber membranes (artificial kidneys) to dispose of the urea, creatinine, uric acid and other waste substances normally released in urine, the cleansed blood then being circulated back into the body. The artificial kidney (dialyzer) is the semipermeable membrane incorporated into the container to bring the blood into contact with the dialysis fluid when carrying out this method. Types of cellulose (such as regenerated cellulose and cellulose triacetate) as well as synthetic polymers (polysulfone, EVOH, polyacrylonitrile, polymethylmetaacrylate and the like) are used as raw material. 4. 4Plasmapheretic treatment The plasmapheretic treatment (therapy) method using plasmapheretic receptacles removes disease agents that are present in plasma through extracorporeal circulation by means of a therapy and treatment system that applies plasmapheresis to patients with chronic liver ailments, collagen disease and the like who have only received treatments such as medication for their conditions. Among the materials used for the plasmapheretic receptacles are synthetic polymer hollow-fiber membranes (polysulfone, EVOH, polyacrylonitrile, polyethylene, etc.), absorbent materials and nonwoven fabrics. www.kuraray.co.jp GE Completes ZENON Environmental Acquisition TREVOSE, Pa. (June 1, 2006) - GE Water & Process Technologies, a unit of General Electric Company (NYSE: GE), today announced its completion of the ZENON Environmental Inc. (TSX: ZEN and ZEN.A; OTC: ZNEVF and ZNEAF) acquisition. GE purchased ZENON, a global leader in advanced membranes for water purification, wastewater treatment and water reuse, in an all cash transaction valuing ZENON at approximately US $689 million or Cdn $763 million. Under the terms of the agreement, GE purchased all issued and outstanding Common Shares of ZENON (ZEN – TSX) and Non-Voting Class A Shares (ZEN.A – TSX) for Cdn $24.00 per share in cash. "ZENON joins GE at a time when water quality, water scarcity, and infrastructure challenges around the globe are growing,” said David Calhoun, GE Vice Chairman and President & CEO, GE Infrastructure. “With patented technologies that can treat virtually any water source, ZENON is setting the industry standard in providing the lowest life-cycle cost for our customers in one of the fastest growing sectors in water purification and wastewater treatment.” Over its 26-year history, ZENON pioneered the use of ultrafiltration immersed membrane technology for water and wastewater treatment. ZENON membranes have become the technology of choice for water and wastewater plants of all sizes, and their adoption is spreading rapidly throughout the world. “GE’s world-class Global Research Centers, a global sales team with deep domain knowledge, expertise in services, a strong global presence, and expertise in financing projects of varying complexity, and ZENON’s talented people and technologies make it a great strategic match,” said Jeff Garwood, President and CEO, GE Water & Process Technologies. “We look forward to serving customers around the globe with safer drinking water and exceptional wastewater treatments that turn wastewater into a valuable asset with exceptional life cycle cost reduction.” ZENON’s advanced hollow fiber membrane technology provides solutions for numerous water and wastewater treatment applications including membrane bioreactor (MBR), tertiary water filtration, drinking water treatment, industrial process water and water reuse. ZENON has an extensive patent portfolio that will enhance GE’s current water scarcity platform by providing pre-treatment technology for reverse osmosis desalination and water reuse. ZENON’s technology in municipal water and wastewater treatment will enhance GE’s presence with advanced technology products in this large global industry. ZENON’s technologies also will help GE provide the best life cycle cost reduction for customers in long-term service agreements. About GE Water & Process Technologies GE Water & Process Technologies, a unit of General Electric Company, is solving some of the world’s most pressing water challenges by providing industrial, agricultural and potable water, while lessening our dependence on fresh water sources. Technologies to accomplish this include desalination, advanced membrane, separation solutions, and water reuse and wastewater management and process technologies. GE delivers value to customers by improving performance and product quality, reducing operating costs and extending equipment life. For more information on GE Water & Process Technologies, visit www.gewater.com. In Canada, GE has operations across the country, including 15 major manufacturing facilities, over 150 sales and service locations and more than 9,500 employees. About ZENON Environmental ZENON is a world leader in providing advanced membrane products and services for water purification, wastewater treatment and water reuse to municipalities and industries worldwide. Canada’s Top 100 Employers ranked ZENON in their top 100 list for the last six years. An S&P/TSX Composite company, ZENON Environmental Inc. trades on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbols ZEN and ZEN.NV.A; and on the OTC under the symbols ZNEVF and ZNEAF. Additional information is available at ZENON’s web site www.zenon.com. Caution Concerning Forward-Looking Statements This document contains "forward-looking statements" – that is, statements related to future, not past, events. In this context, forward-looking statements often address expected future business and financial performance, and often contain words such as "expects," "anticipates," "intends," "plans," "believes," "seeks," or "will." Forward-looking statements by their nature address matters that are, to different degrees, uncertain. For GE, particular uncertainties arise from the behavior of financial markets, including fluctuations in interest rates and commodity prices, from future integration of acquired businesses, from future financial performance of major industries which we serve, including, without limitation, the air and rail transportation, energy generation, media, real estate and healthcare industries, from unanticipated loss development in our insurance businesses, and from numerous other matters of national, regional and global scale, including those of a political, economic, business, competitive and regulatory nature. These uncertainties may cause actual future results to be materially different than those expressed in the forward-looking statements. Neither GE nor ZENON undertakes to update our forward-looking statements. Contacts: GE Water & Process Technologies, Ellen Mellody 215.942.3307 GE, Russell Wilkerson, 203.373.3193 GE Canada, Kim Warburton 905-858-3193 ZENON Environmental, Mike Stadnyckyj, 905-465-3030 ext. 3012 www.zenon.com H2O Innovation plans to acquire assets of Membrane Systems Corporation QUEBEC CITY, May 10, 2006 – The Directors of H2O Innovation (2000) inc. (“H2O”, TSX-V: HEO) are pleased to announce a proposed CAN$10M equity financing through AMSTERDAMS EFFECTENKANTOOR B.V. (“AEK”). At the same time, H2O announces the signature of a letter of intent pursuant to which H2O would acquire 100% of the assets of MSC in an arms’ length transaction. MSC is a Santa Barbara (California, USA) based company active in water treatment systems incorporating membranebased technologies such as ultrafiltration, nanofiltration and reverse osmosis. The purchase price for the acquisition is US$3.1M. The completion of the transaction is subject to a satisfactory due diligence, the entering into an asset purchase agreement with terms and conditions to the satisfaction of both parties, the obtaining of all required regulatory approvals and the satisfaction of other customary conditions. Equity financing of CAN$ 10 M H2O announces its intention to complete a CAN$10M equity financing through AEK’s asset management. The proposed private placement will consist of units. Each unit will be converted into one common share at a price of CAN$0.90 and one warrant, the latter granting AEK the right, for the next 24 months, to subscribe to a common share of H2O at a price of CAN$1.25. The proceeds of the private placement will be applied to the completion of MSC acquisition, debts’ settlements and working capital. H2O obtained an extension until May 19th 2006, to complete the debts’ settlements with its long-term creditors, as previously announced in the February 2nd 2006 press release. Following the financing, H2O will reimburse all long term debts (CAN$1.8M) and write-off CAN$550,000 which will generate significant annual savings on interests. MSC’ strategic acquisition “This transaction entitles H2O to strengthen its position in the water treatment industry. MSC will enable H2O to access US based market as well as an impressive reference list projects” explains Guy Goulet, President and Chief Executive Officer of H2O. “This strategic acquisition, in addition to contributing towards growth of MSC, is expected to increase significantly the revenues of H2O, enlarge H2O’s customer base and leverage its expertise in the membrane sector.” he added. Founded in 1990, MSC designs, manufactures, assembles, supplies and installs water treatment systems/plants for municipalities, industries, private developers and government/military. Headquartered in California, the company’s water treatment systems perform such functions as desalination and purifying brackish groundwater in order to meet diverse and specific needs of a wide range of applications. Based on unaudited financial statements, for the year ended December 31, 2005, MSC had revenues of US$4.6M and reached break-even point. The letter of intent contemplates that the Company will acquire 100% of MSC's assets that are valued at US$1.6M as per unaudited balance sheet as of December 31, 2005 and that MSC current sales backlog is at US$7M. H2O will not assume any debt of MSC. Moreover, MSC gives H2O access to an impressive number of reference projects mainly in California, Florida and Mexico. The individual rated capacities of these systems range from 250,000 to 75 million US gallons per day. MSC’s financial statements are unaudited and produced by the management. Consequently, these financial statements have not been prepared in accordance with Canadian GAAP. This transaction may be subject to AMF Regulation 51-102 and may require the filing of a Business Acquisition Report, which, if required, would be available at the latest at the date of the closing of the acquisition. In order to produce the “Business Acquisition Report” (BAR), H2O will mandate its auditors to proceed with the verification of the financial statements of the targeted acquisition for the exercise ended December 31, 2005 and to produce interim financial statements compliant with the Canadian GAAP. Since MSC historic financial statements have not been audited, it is predictable that the auditor report may contain a qualified opinion. The result of the audit process could result in material changes in the financial information reported above. The integration of MSC among H2O will contribute to amortize its operation fixed costs. Mr. Ashwin Desai, owner and President of MSC, was formerly President and CEO of Hydraunautics, a worldwide membrane element manufacturing company. Aside Mr. Desai’s 30 years of experience in the water treatment industry stands a team of highly experienced professionals with expertise in the field of membrane processes, water treatment, projects and field services management as well as marketing. “This acquisition meets every criteria of our strategic business plan which consists in the consolidation of related technologies in the water treatment industry. In fact, considering the strength of the Canadian dollar, the timing could not be better to contemplate business development in the United States. The membrane filtration technology on the American market is subject to an important growth. Moreover, the acquisition remains within the bounds of our Company’s mission and products. The production integration in our manufacturing plant is expected to generate sustainable economies”, stated Frédéric Dugré, Executive Vice- President of H2O. About H2O H2O is pursuing its market development in drinking water with a complete portfolio of membrane technologies for municipal, industrial and commercial sectors. H2O’s mission is to develop, produce and market state of the art, environmentally friendly products dedicated to the production of drinking water and the treatment of wastewater and industrial processed water. The TSX Venture Exchange assumes no responsibility to the pertinence or accuracy of the information contained in this press release. Guy Goulet, President and CEO, (450) 669-3144 ext. 203, ggoulet@h2oinnovation.com Frédéric Dugré, Executive Vice-President, (418) 688-0170 ext.22, fdugre@h2oinnovation.com www.h2oinnovation.com Liqui-Flux® Pressure Driven Ultrafiltration Module From Membrana Wuppertal Germany, May 5, 2006 Membrana, a long time leader in membrane and module technologies has developed a new innovative 12-inch ultrafiltration membrane module. It will be on display at ACHEMA 2006 in Frankfurt Germany (Hall 9.1 at booths M18-M20). The Liqui-Flux® ultrafiltration module incorporates a hydrophilic Polyethersulfone (PES) hollow fiber membrane with an inner diameter of 0.8 mm and a MWCO of 80 kDa. The distinctive three-layer membrane morphology effectively combines the critical tasks of sustained mechanical strength and excellent flux rate with outstanding removal efficiencies. When tested side-by-side with three competitive filtration devices, Liqui-Flux Modules used less than half of the energy of any of the others to deliver the same performance. The multifunctional 3-layer membrane structure utilizes the separation layer on the inner surface to control the filtration performance. The support layer, which is in the center of the membrane cross section, provides overall durability. The outside surface of the membrane, the protection layer, provides added strength and durability during backflushing. Membrana’s patented Performance Enhancing Technology (P.E.T.®) provides further strength and consistent membrane distribution within the module by intertwining additional filaments around the hollow fibers within the bundles. Liqui-Flux filtration modules have a compact design with an optimized hydrodynamic flow pattern and 61 m2 (657 ft2) of effective filtration area. This represents one of the largest surface areas available in an ultrafiltration module today. Liqui-Flux modules provide a powerful and reliable prefiltration step for Reverse Osmosis (RO) in water treatment plants. They combine economical sensibility to both the overall capital investment and the cost of ownership. Liqui-Flux® Membrane Modules are ideally suited for surface and drinking water filtration, municipal and industrial wastewater treatment, and pre-treatment of seawater and brackish water for RO. Membrana also manufactures Liqui-Cel® Membrane Contactors that are used for degassing liquids in various industries. New sizes and industrial variants have been introduced in the market to accompany the high purity and FDA compliant devices already proven in the field for over 15 years. Liqui-Cel Contactors will also be on display at ACHEMA. Come see us in Hall 9.1 at booths M18-M20. Membrana is a market leader in membrane development and manufacturing. It has supplied membranes to a variety of medical and industrial markets for more than 50 years. Manufacturing facilities are located in the USA and Europe. Global markets are served through sales offices and affiliates in North America, Europe, Japan, South East Asia and China. Membrana is a wholly-owned subsidiary of POLYPORE, a growing worldwide developer, manufacturer and marketer of highly specialized polymer-based membranes used in separation and filtration processes. Press Contact: Germany Peter Steiger Manager, Sales & Marketing Industrial Separations USA Beth A. Kitteringham Marketing Manager, Industrial Separations www.membrana.com Millipore announces investments in China and India BILLERICA, Mass., Mar 15, 2006 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- Millipore Corporation (NYSE:MIL), a leading provider of products and services that improve productivity in the laboratory and in biopharmaceutical manufacturing, today announced that it has increased its investment in personnel and facilities to support the growth of its business in emerging international markets such as China and India. "The acceleration of our revenue growth in 2005 benefited from higher growth in emerging international markets where we are a market leader and have differentiated product offerings," said Martin Madaus, President, Chairman & CEO of Millipore. "Over the next several years, we expect to broaden our international presence and sustain our momentum by expanding our infrastructure and hiring new leadership. As we execute our new strategy, we are in an excellent position to capitalize on increasing demand for our Bioprocess and Bioscience products and services in rapidly growing geographies." The Company has appointed Geoff Ide as Vice President of International Markets. Ide comes to Millipore with more than twenty years of experience in marketing and international general management, most recently serving as President of Bausch and Lomb's Japan operations. His experience in Japan over the past six years includes driving sales growth and organizational change. Ide's experience will help Millipore to expand its substantial presence in the Japanese market. Additionally, his responsibilities will focus on the development and implementation of regional growth strategies for both the Bioscience and Bioprocess divisions, with an emphasis on China and India where the Company has seen increasing demand for its laboratory water and sample preparation products. As part of its expansion in China, Millipore has doubled its number of direct and indirect sales representatives in the region and opened a larger office in Beijing to support the growth of products such as the Company's Direct-Q(TM) ultrapure water system. Millipore has been a leader in China for more than twenty years and also has offices in Shanghai, Guangzhou, Chengdu and Hong Kong. The expansion of its offices will provide Millipore with the ability to make additional investments in its field organization, which will enable the Company to capitalize on growth from outsourcing trends and new laboratory investments. China is the fastest growing segment of Millipore's operations in Asia. In India, Millipore is sourcing some of the Company's Bioprocess hardware systems through its local joint venture company and is expanding its research and development operations in the region. The Company's growth in India is being driven by laboratory investments from pharmaceutical companies, the emergence of new biotechnology companies, and increasing drug production to support India's growing population and worldwide demand. Several of Millipore's new products and services have been successful at addressing the unique needs of the Indian market. About Millipore Millipore is a leading bioprocess and bioscience products and services company, organized into two divisions. The Bioprocess division offers solutions that optimize development and manufacturing of biologics. The Bioscience division provides high performance products and application insights that improve laboratory productivity. Millipore has a deep understanding of its customers' research and manufacturing process needs, and offers reliable and innovative tools, technologies and services. The Company employs approximately 4,800 people worldwide and posted revenues of $991 million in 2005. For additional information on Millipore Corporation, please visit its website at: . Investor Contact: Joshua Young, 978-715-1527 or 800-225-3384, Director, Investor Relations, joshua_young@millipore.com or Media Contact, Thomas Anderson, 978-715-1043 or 800-225-3384, Vice President Corporate Communications, thomas_anderson@millipore.com www.millipore.com General Electric Agrees to Acquire ZENON Environmental Expands GE’s Water & Process Technologies Platform with the Addition of Best-In-Class Ultrafiltration Membrane Technologies TREVOSE, PENNSYLVANIA AND OAKVILLE, ONTARIO (March 14, 2006) – GE Water & Process Technologies, a unit of General Electric Company (NYSE: GE) and ZENON Environmental Inc. (TSX: ZEN and ZEN.NV.A; OTC: ZNEVF and ZNEAF), announced today that they have signed an agreement in connection with the acquisition by way of Plan of Arrangement of ZENON by GE in an all cash transaction for Cdn $24.00 per share, valuing the transaction at approximately Cdn $760 million, or US $656 million. ZENON is a global leader in advanced membranes for water purification, wastewater treatment and water reuse to municipalities and industries worldwide. Over its 26-year history, ZENON pioneered the use of ultrafiltration technology for water and wastewater treatment. The technology has become the technology of choice for water and wastewater plants, and its adaptation is spreading rapidly throughout the world. “ZENON is a great strategic fit with GE,” said David Calhoun, GE Vice Chairman and President & CEO, GE Infrastructure. “With the synergies we create, we will have the potential to grow revenue in the municipal water segment at more than 30 percent for the next several years. Its best-in-class membrane technologies will allow GE to serve the fast-growing ultrafiltration segment of water and wastewater treatment, significantly expand our capabilities to help customers address pressing water scarcity issues and play a key role in the high-growth areas of the municipal water segment. With this terrific addition, we anticipate our water platform growing to nearly US $2.5 billion in revenue next year.” Andrew Benedek, Chairman and CEO of ZENON Environmental, said, “This transaction will benefit both our customers and GE’s customers. Our advanced membranes and talented team, combined with GE’s technology, scale, strong global network and services expertise, will open up new global opportunities for our ultrafiltration technology.” ZENON’s advanced membranes include membrane bioreactor (MBR) and hollow fiber technologies that offer low-cost filtration and disinfection in one step with low energy consumption. ZENON has an extensive patent portfolio that will enhance GE’s current water scarcity platform by providing pre-treatment technology for reverse osmosis desalination and reuse. ZENON’s technology in municipal water treatment will enhance GE’s presence with advanced technology products in this large global industry. ZENON’s technologies also will help GE provide the best life-cycle cost reduction for customers in customized service agreements. Under the terms of the agreement, GE will acquire all of the issued and outstanding Common Shares of ZENON (ZEN – TSX) and the Non-Voting Class A Shares (ZEN.NV.A – TSX) for Cdn $24.00 in cash. ZENON option holders will be eligible to receive Cdn $24.00 cash, less the exercise price of the respective option. The transaction is to be effected by way of statutory “Plan of Arrangement” and will require the approval of ZENON’s securityholders. Management of ZENON anticipates that a management proxy circular regarding the Arrangement will be mailed to securityholders by the end of March 2006, with a meeting of the ZENON shareholders being held to approve the Plan of Arrangement in late April or early May 2006. Assuming successful completion of the Arrangement, GE intends to amalgamate ZENON with a wholly owned subsidiary of GE. The Board of Directors of ZENON, following the unanimous recommendation of a Special Committee of independent directors established to oversee the transaction and the negotiation thereof, has unanimously approved the Arrangement Agreement and is recommending the holders of ZENON Common and Non-Voting Class A Shares vote in favor of the Plan of Arrangement. GMP Securities L.P. and J.P. Morgan Securities Inc. have acted as financial advisers to the ZENON Board and Special Committee and have also each provided an opinion to the Board and the Special Committee confirming the fairness of the offer to the holders of the Common Shares and Non-Voting Class A Shares of ZENON. Andrew Benedek, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, who, together with his affiliates, owns 6,148,160 shares, has entered into a support agreement agreeing to vote in favor of the Arrangement, subject to limited exceptions, including the termination of the Arrangement Agreement by ZENON. Additional Information about the Transaction The Arrangement is subject to customary regulatory approvals, as well as to approval by the holders of the ZENON Common Shares, Class A Non-Voting Shares and the holders of ZENON options and the approval of the Alberta Court. Under the Arrangement Agreement, ZENON is prevented from pursuing any other takeover proposals, subject to certain exceptions including exceptions in connection with the fiduciary duties of the ZENON Board of Directors. If the Arrangement does not occur under certain circumstances, ZENON has agreed to pay a break fee of three percent of the equity value of this agreement. About GE Water & Process Technologies GE Water & Process Technologies, a unit of General Electric Company, is solving some of the world’s most pressing water challenges by providing industrial, agricultural and potable water, while lessening our dependence on fresh water sources. Technologies to accomplish this include desalination, advanced membrane, separation solutions, and water reuse and wastewater management and process technologies. GE delivers value to customers by improving performance and product quality, reducing operating costs and extending equipment life. For more information on GE Water & Process Technologies, visit www.gewater.com. In Canada, GE has operations across the country, including 15 major manufacturing facilities, over 150 sales and service locations and more than 9,500 employees. About ZENON Environmental ZENON is a world leader in providing advanced membrane products and services for water purification, wastewater treatment and water reuse to municipalities and industries worldwide. Canada’s Top 100 Employers ranked ZENON in their top 100 list for the last six years. An S&P/TSX Composite company, ZENON Environmental Inc. trades on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbols ZEN and ZEN.NV.A; and on the OTC under the symbols ZNEVF and ZNEAF. Additional information is available at ZENON’s web site www.zenon.com. Caution Concerning Forward-Looking Statements This document contains "forward-looking statements" – that is, statements related to future, not past, events. In this context, forward-looking statements often address expected future business and financial performance, and often contain words such as "expects," "anticipates," "intends," "plans," "believes," "seeks," or "will." Forward-looking statements by their nature address matters that are, to different degrees, uncertain. For GE, particular uncertainties arise from the behavior of financial markets, including fluctuations in interest rates and commodity prices, from future integration of acquired businesses, from future financial performance of major industries which we serve, including, without limitation, the air and rail transportation, energy generation, media, real estate and healthcare industries, from unanticipated loss development in our insurance businesses, and from numerous other matters of national, regional and global scale, including those of a political, economic, business, competitive and regulatory nature. These uncertainties may cause actual future results to be materially different than those expressed in the forward-looking statements. Neither GE nor ZENON undertakes to update our forward-looking statements. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- For more information contact: GE Water & Process Technologies, Troy Kirkpatrick 215.942.3072 GE, Russell Wilkerson, 203.373.3193 GE Canada, Sarah Triantafillou, 905.858.5221 ZENON Environmental, Nazeli Clausen, 905.465.3030 www.zenon.com World's Largest Desalination Plant Running With Filmtec™ Membranes is Now Fully Commissioned Midland, MI - February 07, 2006 The second phase of the world's largest desalination plant is now successfully running. Due to the successful start up, the entire plant was fully commissioned and turned over to operations. The plant continues to rely on FILMTEC™ membrane technology from The Dow Chemical Company for the plant's highly demanding seawater reverse osmosis (SWRO) process. Located in Ashkelon, Israel, the plant serves one of the most water-challenged areas of the world. The plant, owned and operated by VID Desalination Company, is designed to produce a total of 330,000 m3 per day of water. This will provide a sustainable source of fresh water to approximately 15 percent of the households in Israel located in areas with extremely dry conditions and limited fresh water sources. VID Desalination Company is a consortium of IDE Technologies Ltd. equally owned by Israel Chemicals Ltd. (ICL) of the Israel Corporation Ltd. and Delek Group, as well as Veolia Water S.A. "The successful operation of this plant speaks to the bright future seawater reverse osmosis technology has in addressing the needs of other regions, such as China, India and Africa, that are facing growing demand and limited availability of freshwater resources," said Ian Barbour, general manager of the Dow Liquid Separations business and CEO of FilmTec Corporation, a wholly owned subsidiary of The Dow Chemical Company. Consisting of 40,000 FILMTEC reverse osmosis (RO) elements in 32 RO treatment trains, the plant uses an optimized, multi-stage RO configuration and includes a boron removal process. The design is highly flexible and readily adjustable to feed water temperature fluctuations, and is capable of delivering water quality that exceeds the World Health Organization standards. "The success of this project is attributed to working with reliable and experienced partners and demonstrates once again that seawater desalination is a proven, sustainable source of fresh water," stated Lance Johnson, manager, global large desalination projects for The Dow Chemical Company. "And, at 52 cents per cubic meter, the plant is a testament to how advances in RO membrane technology have enabled the production of quality drinking water from seawater more affordable and energy efficient." Over the past ten years, FilmTec has helped to decrease the cost of water treated by RO elements nearly threefold, while enhancements in membrane throughput and rejection have led to significant reductions in energy consumption. "Our driving vision is to help customers produce the highest quality water at the lowest possible cost, and we're excited to see that vision achieved when put to the Ashkelon reality test," noted Barbour. The project began in April 2003 and is part of a Desalination Master Plan launched by Israel in 2002 to help address the country's chronic water resource problems. The Water and Desalination Authority of Israel will use the treated water to supplement and upgrade the existing potable municipal water supply in this region with extremely dry conditions and limited fresh water resources. Dow's association and close coordination with The OTID Consortium and Jacobson Agencies Ltd., Dow's agent in Israel, was instrumental in the initial start up. The OTID Consortium is an association formed by OTV, part of Veolia Water, and IDE Technologies Ltd., and selected FILMTEC RO elements for the seawater desalination plant to meet the demanding needs of the Ashkelon SWRO process. Dow is a diversified chemical company that harnesses the power of science and technology to improve living daily. The Company offers a broad range of innovative products and services to customers in more than 175 countries, helping them to provide everything from fresh water, food and pharmaceuticals to paints, packaging and personal care products. Built on a commitment to its principles of sustainability, Dow has annual sales of $46 billion and employs 42,000 people worldwide. References to "Dow" or the "Company" mean The Dow Chemical Company and its consolidated subsidiaries unless otherwise expressly noted. Dow Technology Licensing is a business unit of Dow that markets technologies owned by The Dow Chemical Company, Union Carbide Corporation and their subsidiaries. (*)(R)(TM)Trademark of The Dow Chemical Company ("Dow") or an affiliated company of Dow For Editorial Information: Eric Grates, The Dow Chemical Company, (989) 636-5391 Sarah Madley, Gibbs & Soell, Inc., (212) 697-2600 www.dow.com

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