Dow Sites in Texas Preparing for Hurricane Ike

Midland, MI - In anticipation of the approach of Hurricane Ike along the Texas Gulf Coast, The Dow Chemical Company announced that its sites in the Freeport and Houston-Galveston areas are implementing their hurricane preparedness plans to safely shut down operations. This is a part of Dow’s normal sequencing to ensure the safe and efficient shut down and start-up of its facilities.

Affected Dow sites include Freeport, Clear Lake and LaPorte, as well as the Union Carbide facilities in Texas City and Seadrift. Dow’s Houston office centers are also closing.

Current predictions have the storm making landfall just south of Freeport this Saturday morning. Dow remains in continuous communication with local authorities to ensure their respective plans and actions are consistent with each other.

Dow sites along the Gulf Coast have well developed hurricane preparedness plans and are fully prepared to implement them when needed. With safety being the Company’s first priority, the sites’ plans are designed to protect Dow personnel and the communities in which Dow operates.

Dow is urging its employees in the affected areas to take appropriate precautions to prepare for the storm, stay in close communications with their supervisors and to adhere to any mandatory evacuations.

The Company announced earlier this week that start-up operations had begun at Dow’s site in Plaquemine, Louisiana and at Union Carbide’s St. Charles Operations in Hahnville, Louisiana – both of which were impacted by Hurricane Gustav. Each start-up process is expected to take several weeks to complete. Raw material availability and transportation logistics continue to present a challenge to the sites and to the industry throughout the region.

About Dow

With annual sales of $54 billion and 46,000 employees worldwide, Dow is a diversified chemical company that combines the power of science and technology with the “ Human Element ” to constantly improve what is essential to human progress. The Company delivers a broad range of products and services to customers in around 160 countries, connecting chemistry and innovation with the principles of sustainability to help provide everything from fresh water, food and pharmaceuticals to paints, packaging and personal care products. References to “Dow” or the “Company” mean The Dow Chemical Company and its consolidated subsidiaries unless otherwise expressly noted.