CHARLESTON, S.C., December 14, 2005 – MeadWestvaco Specialty Chemicals manufacturing facility in Charleston, S.C., recently received registration from Underwriters Laboratories, Inc.® (UL) under the American Chemistry Council’s Responsible Care® Management System (RCMS) program. The Charleston facility is one of the first plants in the U.S. to obtain this registration from UL.

The RCMS program is the framework used to manage the Responsible Care program, a. U.S. chemical industry's award-winning performance initiative that has resulted in emissions reductions of 75 percent and a worker safety record that is four times better than the average of the U.S. manufacturing sector.

“Responsible Care helps the nation’s leading chemical companies go above and beyond government environmental, health, safety and security requirements and openly share their performance results with the public,” said Charleston Plant Manager Ann Elish. She said the Charleston plant and the company’s Specialty Chemicals plants elsewhere have improved their performance by implementing world-class management practices; tracking progress through environmental, health, safety and security measures; and extending these best practices to business partners throughout the industry.

“Our goal is to better manage and reduce risks while improving production efficiency,” said Elish.

“We integrate safety, health, environmental and security performance with all aspects of our business. This registration confirms that. This is just the first step – we will continue to improve our stewardship performance with the involvement of all our employees and the support of our local community.”

Since 1988, members of the American Chemistry Council (ACC) have significantly improved their environmental, health and safety performance through Responsible Care. Two years ago, strict security management was added to the initiative. To learn more about the American Chemistry Council and Responsible Care, go to www.americanchemistry.com and www.responsiblecare-us.org.

MeadWestvaco employees at Charleston run one of the world’s leading tall oil refineries. They manufacture specialty chemicals products for customers in printing inks, paper chemicals, rubber, refinery and asphalt industries around the world.

Media contact:

Pamela L. Wheeler

tel 843 740 2381

e-mail pamela.wheeler@meadwestvaco.com Robert G. Crockett

About MeadWestvaco

MeadWestvaco is a global packaging company that delivers high-value packaging solutions and products to the world’s most recognized companies in the food and beverage, media and entertainment, personal care, home and garden, cosmetic and healthcare industries. The company also has market-leading positions in its Consumer & Office Products, Specialty Chemicals and Specialty Papers businesses. MeadWestvaco, with operations in more than 29 countries, has been selected for the Dow Jones Sustainability Indexes, and manages all of its forestlands in accordance with internationally recognized forest certification standards. For more information, please visit www.meadwestvaco.com.

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