1.23.2008 - 11:00am ET

(CSRwire) CHICAGO, IL - January 23, 2008 - ArcelorMittal and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation announced the ArcelorMittal Great Lakes Restoration Program today. The new grant program is funded by a $2.1 million donation from the ArcelorMittal USA Foundation that will be matched by a $3 million investment by the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and federal agency partners including: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. Forest Service, and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The contributions will then be leveraged by grantees to enable a total on-the-ground impact of $9 million throughout the Great Lakes watershed.

The ArcelorMittal Great Lakes Restoration Program is an important step towards restoring the ecological integrity of the Great Lakes Basin. The program is designed to address the habitat and ecosystem restoration goals developed through the Great Lakes Regional Collaboration. The Regional Collaboration, created by a Presidential Executive Order, is a wide-ranging, public-private cooperative effort to design and implement a strategy for the restoration, protection, and sustainable use of the Great Lakes. Specifically, ArcelorMittal funds will support wetland protection and restoration across the Great Lakes Region, including parts of Illinois, Indiana, Minnesota, Ohio and Canada.

"A vibrant, sustainable Great Lakes is important to our business and our community. We are thrilled to have the opportunity to partner with the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation to lead the effort in improving the fish and wildlife habitat in the Great Lakes" said Lou Schorsch, President and CEO, ArcelorMittal Flat Carbon Americas. "Our USA Foundation is committed to supporting sustainability through the focus areas of education, the environment and support of healthy and safe communities where our employees and customers work and live."

"This seed money grows innovative partnerships to restore and sustain the greatness in the Lakes," said Benjamin H. Grumbles, Assistant Administrator for Water at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. "The world's largest freshwater ecosystem benefits when governments and the private sector team up to achieve the environmental and economic goals of the Great Lakes Regional Collaboration."

Jeff Trandahl, Executive Director of the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation commented, "Ever increasing pressure on our fresh water ecosystems underscores the need to protect and restore and Great Lakes, which represent ten percent of all fresh water globally. We are proud to work with ArcelorMittal and our federal, state, and local partners to move Great Lakes restoration forward. ArcelorMittal's commitment sets a high bar for corporate commitment to restoring the ecological integrity of the Great Lakes system."

For more information on the Great Lakes Watershed Restoration Program including applicant eligibility, eligible projects, and submission requirements visit www.nfwf.org/programs/greatlakes/.

About National Fish and Wildlife Foundation

A nonprofit established by Congress in 1984, the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation sustains, restores and enhances the Nation's fish, wildlife, plants, and habitats. The Foundation creates partnerships between the public and private sectors to strategically invest in conservation and the sustainable use of natural resources. . Since its establishment, NFWF has awarded nearly 9,500 grants to over 3,000 organizations in the United States and abroad and leveraged – with its partners – more than $400 million in federal funds into over $1.3 billion for conservation. For more information, visit www.nfwf.org.

About ArcelorMittal

ArcelorMittal is the world's number one steel company, with 320,000 employees in more than 60 countries. The company brings together the world's number one and number two steel companies, Arcelor and Mittal Steel.

ArcelorMittal is the leader in all major global markets, including automotive, construction, household appliances and packaging, with leading R&D and technology, as well as sizeable captive supplies of raw materials and outstanding distribution networks. An industrial presence in 27 European, Asian, African and American countries exposes the company to all the key steel markets, from emerging to mature, positions it will be looking to develop in the high-growth Chinese and Indian markets.

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