PHILADELPHIA, PA, April 27, 2007 – BASF, The Chemical Company, announces it has developed a strategic alliance with the East Parkside Community Revitalization Corporation (EPCRC) to transform an aging West Philadelphia neighborhood into a better, high-performance community. The goal is to create a model that can be replicated in sustainable urban renewal projects across the country.

According to Manager of Building and Construction Markets for BASF Jack Armstrong, the drive will be towards "high-performance" structures – buildings that are energy-efficient, environmentally safe, disaster resistant, fast to construct and affordable. "BASF would like to see high-performance communities across America – and we're convinced that goal is entirely within our reach," adds Armstrong.

The revitalization plan calls for all rehabilitated structures to be ENERGY STAR^® standard compliant and all new construction to be LEED^® design certified. LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) is the rating system developed by the U.S. Green Building Council and is widely accepted as the measure of a building's environmental compatibility.

East Parkside, which is adjacent to the Philadelphia Zoo, Please Touch Museum, and the Microsoft High School of the Future, faces many challenges - high crime, poverty, and an aging housing stock, among them. For a number of years, the neighborhood has been studied by various institutions and agencies including The Brookings Institute, Urban Land Institute and the City of Philadelphia, all with an eye to salvaging the historic community.

"By working directly with our customers, BASF seeks out opportunities to improve socio-economic landscapes both in the U.S. and globally," says Armstrong, pointing to BASF's Near-Zero Energy Project in Paterson, N.J. as an example. "BASF coordinated a demonstration home that highlighted our customers' high-performance building materials in order to produce the first LEED Platinum home on the East coast. Our aim is to help EPCRC replicate the success of the Paterson project many times over during this redevelopment process."

Additionally, the company plans on creating a series of educational initiatives, symposiums and thought leadership alliances that will provide the project managers with the technical expertise needed to achieve their goals.

The initiative is part of BASF's Better Home Better Planet™ Initiative aimed at educating the building community and general public about sustainable design and environmental stewardship. Other Better Home, Better Planet projects include the BASF Near-Zero Energy Home, Paterson, N.J.; the development of a wildlife refuge in Rensselaer; post-Katrina rebuilding efforts; and projects in China, Sri Lanka and India, to name a few.

Please visit www.betterhomebetterplanet.com and www.highperformancecommunity.com.

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 Corporation, headquartered in New Jersey, is the North American affiliate of BASF AG, Ludwigshafen, Germany. BASF employs more than 15,500 in North America and had sales of approximately $14.3 billion in 2006. For more information about BASF's North American operations, or to sign up to receive news releases by e-mail, visit www.basf.com/usa.

BASF is the world's leading chemical company: The Chemical Company. Its portfolio ranges from chemicals, plastics, performance products, agricultural products and fine chemicals to crude oil and natural gas. As a reliable partner to virtually all industries, BASF's high-value products and intelligent system solutions help its customers to be more successful. BASF develops new technologies and uses them to meet the challenges of the future and open up additional market opportunities. It combines economic success with environmental protection and social responsibility, thus contributing to a better future. BASF has approximately 95,000 employees and posted sales of €52.6 billion (approximately $66.1 billion) in 2006. Further information on BASF is available on the Internet at www.basf.com.

For more information, contact:

Mary MacLeod
Maverick Marketing on behalf of BASF
Tel: (207) 929-4568
E-mail: mary@mavmarket.com

ENERGY STAR^® is a registered trademark of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
LEED^® is a registered trademark of the U.S. Green Building Council.
Better Home Better Planet™ is a trademark of BASF Corporation.