NORTH CHARLESTON, SC, April 2, 2007 – MeadWestvaco Specialty Chemicals today announced the status of two major capital investment projects underway at its DeRidder, Louisiana, and Charleston, South Carolina, plants. The projects will increase manufacturing capacity and operational efficiencies at both of the company’s domestic facilities for production of pine chemicals products. More than 200 different products are manufactured at the Charleston and DeRidder plants.

“These capital projects ensure our continued ability to deliver innovative products and technologies in a cost effective manner. We have built our business on the distinctive performance of market-leading products like our asphalt additives, ink resins, paper size, rubber emulsifiers, oil field chemicals and other pine chemicals products from DeRidder and Charleston, ” said Ed Rose, vice president of Performance Chemicals, MeadWestvaco Specialty Chemicals. “With these investments, we are responding to customers’ requests for expanded capacity and have taken steps to secure the raw material base of crude tall oil needed to support the production growth these projects will bring.”

“The pine chemicals market is an important growth area for MeadWestvaco,” Rose added. “MeadWestvaco Specialty Chemicals is committed to be a long-term strategic supply partner to our customers around the world.”

DeRidder Expansion

The project now underway at the DeRidder plant includes the addition of a new tall oil refinery column and a comprehensive upgrade of the plant’s existing columns. As a result, production capacity is expected to increase by 40 percent at the facility. At completion of the project, the DeRidder plant will be one of the largest and most efficient tall oil refineries in the world.

Initially authorized in 2004, work on the DeRidder project was delayed during the aftermath of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita as contract labor and materials shortages challenged project timelines.

The plant is expected to be running at expanded capacity by third quarter 2008.

Charleston Expansion

The project in Charleston, scheduled for completion by September 1, 2007, will expand the plant’s capacity for production of rosin-based paper size, a product used to enhance the performance and appearance of paper. The Charleston project positions the plant to meet increased demand resulting from the paper chemicals alliance established last year between Hercules Paper Technologies and MeadWestvaco Specialty Chemicals. Under terms of the new alliance agreement, MeadWestvaco Specialty Chemicals becomes the sole manufacturer for the two companies’ comprehensive rosin-based paper chemical product lines, while Hercules assumes the role as sole agent for marketing, sales and service of both portfolios.

About MeadWestvaco Corporation

MeadWestvaco Corporation (NYSE: MWV) provides packaging solutions to many of the world’s most-admired brands in the food and beverage, media and entertainment, personal care, home and garden, cosmetics, and healthcare industries. The company has market-leading positions in its Consumer & Office Products and Specialty Chemicals businesses, and operates in more than 30 countries. MeadWestvaco manages all of its forestlands in accordance with internationally recognized forest certification standards, and has been named to the Dow Jones Sustainability Index for the fourth consecutive year. For more information, please visit us at www.meadwestvaco.com.

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