Midland, MI - November 09, 2005

James S. Bus, director, External Technology, Toxicology and Environmental Research and Consulting (TERC), has been appointed to a three-year term on the National Academy of Sciences/National Research Council Board of Environmental Sciences and Toxicology (BEST).

The mission of BEST is "to provide independent expert assistance to the federal government and advice to the nation on matters of science and technology affecting public policy on important environmental and ecological problems. BEST addresses questions about air and water pollution; solid and hazardous waste; toxicology; epidemiology; risk assessment; applied ecology; natural resources; and environmental engineering, economics, law, and policy."

"Dr. Bus's role on the committee is strongly linked to Dow's strategic theme of Setting the Standard for Sustainability," said Greg Bond, EH&S for Product. "The NAS BEST Committee focuses on bringing the highest quality science to bear on solving the most pressing human health and environmental issues facing our country."

Many of these issues involve regulatory policies, practices and decisions that directly impact Dow products and businesses, including strategic uses of energy and hydrocarbons; risk interpretation of human biomonitoring as it relates to detection of environmental chemicals; methods and new directions for improving how toxicity testing of chemicals is conducted and interpreted; applications of the newly emerging technology of toxicogenomics to bring new insights into human risk evaluations of chemicals.

Dr. Bus is also actively engaged in several other external institutions including: CIIT Centers for Health Research; ILSI-HESI; the American Chemistry Council Long-Range Research Initiative; the EPA Science Advisory Board; and the National Academy of Sciences/National Research Council Standing Committee on Emerging Issues and Data on Environmental Contaminants and Board of Environmental Sciences and Technology.

Dr. Bus is a member of several professional societies including the Society of Toxicology (serving as President in 1996-97), the American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, the American Conference of Governmental and Industrial Hygienists, the Teratology Society, and is a Diplomate and Past-President of the American Board of Toxicology.

He received his Ph.D. in pharmacology from Michigan State University and currently holds the position of Adjunct Professor in the Dept. Pharmacology and Toxicology in that institution. His research interests include the mechanism of oxidant toxicity, defense mechanisms to toxicant exposure, and relationships of pharmacokinetics to expression of chemical toxicity.

Dow is a leader in science and technology, providing innovative chemical, plastic and agricultural products and services to many essential consumer markets. With annual sales of $40 billion, Dow serves customers in 175 countries and a wide range of markets that are vital to human progress: food, transportation, health and medicine, personal and home care, and building and construction, among others. Committed to the principles of sustainable development, Dow and its 43,000 employees seek to balance economic, environmental and social responsibilities. References to "Dow" or the "Company" mean The Dow Chemical Company and its consolidated subsidiaries unless otherwise expressly noted.

For Editorial Information:

Jeannine Sohayda
The Dow Chemical Company
989-636-8485