BASF Canada donates $5,000 to Minerva Canada
Grant supports safety, health and environmental management education

TORONTO, Ontario, May 17, 2006 -- BASF Canada has donated $5,000 to support Minerva Canada and its Summer Institute Program. Co-sponsored by Minerva Canada and the Canadian Society for Chemical Engineering, the Summer Institute Program brings together industry and academia to look at the fundamentals of safety, health and environmental management and how to incorporate this knowledge into university curricula. Now in its third year, the program will be held in Hamilton, Ontario from May 28 to 31.

Minerva Canada is a non-profit organization promoting safety, health and environmental management. The group’s goal is to help prepare university graduates to manage their future organizations’ safety, health and environmental programs as they would manage other business functions such as quality and productivity.

“Safety and the protection of the environment are integral priorities of the BASF philosophy,” said Robin Rotenberg, President of BASF Canada. “At every BASF Canada facility, our employees are committed to continuously improving our safety and environmental protection standards. By supporting Minerva Canada and the Summer Institute Program, we are helping to instill the principles of safety, health and environmental management in future generations of industrial leaders.”

BASF - The Chemical Company. We don't make a lot of the products you buy. We make a lot of the products you buy better.^® BASF Canada is an affiliate of BASF Corporation.  BASF Corporation, headquartered in New Jersey, is the North American affiliate of BASF AG, Ludwigshafen, Germany. BASF employs about 10,000 people in North America and had sales of approximately $11.3 billion in 2005. For more information about BASF’s North American operations, visit www.basf.ca or www.basf.com/usa.

As the world’s leading chemical company, BASF's portfolio ranges from chemicals, plastics, performance products, agricultural products and fine chemicals to crude oil and natural gas. BASF’s intelligent system solutions and high-value products help its customers to be more successful. BASF develops new technologies and uses them to open up additional market opportunities. It combines economic success with environmental protection and social responsibility, thus contributing to a better future. In 2005, BASF had approximately 81,000 employees and posted sales of more than $50.4 billion. BASF shares are traded on the stock exchanges in Frankfurt (BAS), London (BFA), New York (BF), and Zurich (AN). Further information on BASF is available on the Internet at www.basf.com.

For more information, contact:
Martine Despatie
BASF Canada
Tel: (289) 360-6157
E-mail: martine.despatie@basf.com