American Ecology Ranked 12th on BusinessWeek's List of "Hot Growth" Companies


BOISE, ID--(Marketwire - June 4, 2008) - American Ecology Corporation (NASDAQ: ECOL) today announced that the Company is ranked 12th on BusinessWeek's annual list of "Hot Growth" Companies, published in the June 9, 2008 issue.

To compile its annual "Hot Growth" list, BusinessWeek analyzed 10,000 publicly traded companies (excluding banks, insurers, real estate investment trusts and utilities) and screened for those with revenues from $50 million a year up to $1.5 billion, a current market value of at least $25 million and a minimum stock price of $5. Companies then needed one and three year sales growth at least 30% higher than the average performance for their S&P 500 sector. Return on invested capital (ROIC) for the most recent year had to equal or beat the ROIC for their sector. Also one-year profit growth had to be at least 30% higher than their S&P 500 sector average, or one-year total return had to be at least 30% higher than the sector average. BusinessWeek then adjusted the ratings if red flags were identified about a company's future performance.

Financial performance statistics highlighted for American Ecology included return on invested capital of 23.3%, and three-year sales growth of 45.3%.

Stephen Romano, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, commented, "We are delighted to be recognized by BusinessWeek for our strong financial performance, including return on invested capital, which we are pleased to note was best in class for the waste industry in 2007. Our results are truly a team effort and I am proud to share this recognition with our entire organization."

About American Ecology Corporation

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 steel mills, medical and academic institutions, petro-chemical facilities and the nuclear power industry. Headquartered in Boise, Idaho, the Company is the oldest radioactive and hazardous waste services company in the United States.

Contact Information: Contact: Alison Ziegler Cameron Associates (212) 554-5469 alison@cameronassoc.com www.americanecology.com