February

February 04, 2002 | February 25, 2002

February February 04, 2001
Contact: Chad Hyslop 208.331.8400
chyslop@americanecology.com

AMERICAN ECOLOGY ANNOUNCES NEW CORPORATE CONTROLLER

BOISE, Idaho - Jim Baumgardner, Senior Vice President, Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer of Boise based American Ecology Corporation [NASDAQ: ECOL], today announced that the Company's Board of Directors has appointed Michael J. Gilberg as Vice President and Corporate Controller.

"Michael's strong financial reporting, corporate accounting, and auditing experience is an excellent fit for this position," Baumgardner said, adding "we believe the addition of Michael to the American Ecology team will contribute to building our business and improving earnings."

Prior to joining American Ecology, Gilberg was Controller for TJT, Inc. a publicly traded company located in Emmett, Idaho. Previously, Gilberg worked for the international accounting firms of KPMG and Deloitte and Touche in increasingly responsible audit positions.

American Ecology Corporation, through its subsidiaries, provides radioactive, PCB, hazardous and non-hazardous waste services to commercial and government customers throughout the United States, such as nuclear power plants, steel mills, medical and academic institutions and petro-chemical facilities. The Company is the oldest radioactive and hazardous waste services supplier in the United States.

This press release contains forward-looking statements that are based on our current expectations, beliefs, and assumptions about the industry and markets in which American Ecology Corporation and its subsidiaries operate. Actual results may differ materially from what is expressed herein and no assurance can be given that the company can successfully implement its growth strategy, generate future earnings, or prevail in pending litigation. For information on factors that could cause actual results to differ from expectations, please refer to American Ecology Corporation's Report on Form 10-K, and most recent Form 10-Q filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

February 25, 2002
Contact: Jim Baumgardner 208.331.8400
info@americanecology.com

AMERICAN ECOLOGY RETURNS TO PROFITABILITY IN FOURTH QUARTER; PROFITABLE FOR YEAR

Fourth Quarter Earnings a $1.4 Million Improvement Over Third Quarter Loss

BOISE, Idaho - Jim Baumgardner, Senior Vice President, Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer of American Ecology Corporation [NASDAQ: ECOL], today announced that for the twelve months ending December 31, 2001, the Company posted net income of $802,000, or $.03 per basic share, compared to net income of $4.7 million, or $.31 per basic share for the year ending December 31, 2000. Revenue for the year increased 33% to $56 million in 2001 from $42 million in 2000, principally driven by the Company's successful acquisition of the Grand View, Idaho hazardous waste facility in February 2001.

Operating income for the quarter ending December 31, 2001 slipped to $10,000 compared to operating income of $860,000 for the same quarter of 2000. Likewise, operating income for the full year in 2001 dropped to $234,000 compared to $3.5 million posted during 2000.

The Company posted net income of $207,000, or $.01 per basic share, for the quarter ending December 31, 2001 compared to net income of $1.5 million or $.10 per basic share for the same quarter of 2000. Impacting the quarter were one-time expenses associated with a change in management and associated restructuring of the company totaling approximately $250,000, and a $300,000 reserve taken for a pending legal matter. Revenue for the most recent quarter increased 44% to $15 million from $10.4 million in 2000, primarily due to the acquisition of the Idaho facility.

"American Ecology's return to profitability in the fourth quarter is a significant improvement over the loss posted in the third quarter of 2001" Baumgardner stated. The Company posted a net loss of $1.2 million in the third quarter of 2001.

In October and November 2001, the Company announced changes in executive management and the Company's Board of Directors. The Company promptly implemented a revised business plan that initially focused on cutting overhead and streamlining operations. Management reduced headcount by almost 10%, almost exclusively in overhead, that is expected to save the Company over $2.4 million annually going forward. Concurrently, management divested certain non-core business assets and eliminated the prior division president management structure. Lastly, management fundamentally changed the manner in which it markets its services through the creation of a national sales structure and the appointment of a National Sales and Marketing Director. This change in sales and marketing of waste services combined with aggressive, volume-oriented pricing was implemented to materially increase waste throughput at the Company's disposal facilities.

While fourth quarter 2001 financial results reflect significant improvement over the previous quarter, earnings were depressed by continued operating losses at the Company's Oak Ridge, Tennessee low-level radioactive waste processing facility. "Past pricing decisions and direct expenses associated with processing and disposal of non-revenue producing wastes at the site contributed to the disappointing Oak Ridge results," Baumgardner explained.

"In response to these challenges, a new General Manager was appointed, overhead costs were reduced, efforts were accelerated to remove non-revenue producing materials, and new pricing guidelines were implemented", explained American Ecology President and Chief Operating Officer Stephen A. Romano. The Company also sold its Oak Ridge-based low-level radioactive waste brokerage business and Nuclear Equipment Service Center in the fourth quarter of 2001 for a combined $900,000 in cash and other considerations.

The Company's disposal operations continued to financially perform well, most notably at the Company's newly acquired Grand View, Idaho hazardous and exempt-level radioactive waste disposal facility.

"The Grand View disposal facility was our shining star in 2001" Romano noted. "Disposal operations in Texas, Washington, and Nevada also made meaningful contributions to profitability during the fourth quarter and for the year," he explained, adding "We expect our new national sales structure to drive improved performance at all four disposal sites."

"Despite substantial losses at Oak Ridge and a major reorganization, we remained profitable in 2001. Our 2002 plan calls for increased earnings and cash flow, allowing us to repay debt and invest in our core waste treatment and disposal business," Baumgardner noted, concluding "2002 is a pivotal year for American Ecology, as we fully implement an aggressive business strategy designed to produce substantial revenue and earnings growth."

The fourth quarter and 2001 investor conference call will be held Monday, February 25, 2002 at 10:00 am Mountain Time. Interested parties may submit questions in advance to info@americanecology.com, or by facsimile at 208.331.7900. To join the call, dial 1.877.679.9055. Participants will be asked to provide their name and affiliation prior to joining the call.

American Ecology Corporation, through its subsidiaries, provides radioactive, PCB, hazardous, and non-hazardous waste services to commercial and government customers throughout the United States, such as nuclear power plants, steel mills, medical and academic institutions and petro-chemical facilities. Headquartered in Boise, Idaho, the Company is the oldest radioactive and hazardous waste services company in the United States.

This press release contains forward-looking statements that are based on our current expectations, beliefs, and assumptions about the industry and markets in which American Ecology Corporation and its subsidiaries operate. Actual results may differ materially from what is expressed herein and no assurance can be given that the Company can successfully implement its growth strategy, generate improved earnings, achieve profitability at its Oak Ridge facility or prevail in pending litigation. For information on factors that could cause actual results to differ from expectations, please refer to American Ecology Corporation's Annual Report 10-K and Quarterly Reports 10-Q filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.