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 <p align="center" style="margin:0pt 0pt .0001pt;text-align:center;"><a name="scotch"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on March 1, 2007</font></a></p> <div style="border:none;border-bottom:double windowtext 6.0pt;padding:0pt 0pt 0pt 0pt;"> <p align="right" style="border:none;margin:0pt 0pt .0001pt;padding:0pt;text-align:right;text-indent:360.0pt;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">Registration No. 333-&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</font></p> </div>

<p style="font-weight:bold;margin:0pt 0pt .0001pt;text-align:center;text-transform:uppercase;"><b><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;font-weight:normal;text-transform:none;">&nbsp;</font></b></p>

<p style="font-weight:bold;margin:0pt 0pt .0001pt;text-align:center;text-transform:uppercase;"><b><font size="5" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:18.0pt;text-transform:none;">U.S.
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION</font></b></p>

<p style="font-weight:bold;margin:0pt 0pt 12.0pt;text-align:center;text-transform:uppercase;"><b><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;text-transform:none;">WASHINGTON,
D.C. 20549</font></b></p>

<div style="line-height:9.0pt;margin:0pt 0pt 12.0pt;page-break-after:avoid;text-align:center;"><hr size="1" width="160" noshade color="black" align="center" style="width:120.0pt;"></div>

<p style="font-weight:bold;margin:0pt 0pt 12.0pt;text-align:center;text-transform:uppercase;"><b><font size="5" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:18.0pt;text-transform:none;">FORM S-8</font></b></p>

<p style="font-weight:bold;margin:0pt 0pt 12.0pt;text-align:center;text-transform:uppercase;"><b><font size="3" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:12.0pt;text-transform:none;">REGISTRATION STATEMENT<br>
UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933</font></b></p>

<div style="margin:0pt 0pt 12.0pt;text-align:center;text-transform:uppercase;"><hr size="1" width="160" noshade color="black" align="center" style="width:120.0pt;"></div>

<p style="font-weight:bold;margin:0pt 0pt .0001pt;text-align:center;text-transform:uppercase;"><b><font size="5" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:18.0pt;text-transform:none;">ECOLAB
INC.</font></b></p>

<p align="center" style="margin:0pt 0pt 12.0pt;text-align:center;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">(Exact name of
registrant as specified in its charter)</font></p>

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<table border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" width="100%" style="border-collapse:collapse;width:100.0%;">
 <tr>
  <td width="48%" valign="top" style="padding:0pt .7pt 0pt .7pt;width:48.8%;">
  <p align="center" style="font-size:10.0pt;margin:0pt 0pt .0001pt;text-align:center;"><!-- SET mrlNoTableShading --><b>Delaware</b></p>
  </td>
  <td width="2%" valign="bottom" style="padding:0pt .7pt 0pt .7pt;width:2.38%;">
  <p align="center" style="margin:0pt 0pt .0001pt;text-align:center;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:1.0pt;">&nbsp;</font></p>
  </td>
  <td width="48%" valign="top" style="padding:0pt .7pt 0pt .7pt;width:48.8%;">
  <p align="center" style="margin:0pt 0pt .0001pt;text-align:center;"><b><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;font-weight:bold;">41-0231510</font></b></p>
  </td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
  <td width="48%" valign="top" style="padding:0pt .7pt 0pt .7pt;width:48.8%;">
  <p align="center" style="margin:0pt 0pt .0001pt;text-align:center;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">&nbsp;(State or Other Jurisdiction of</font></p>
  </td>
  <td width="2%" valign="bottom" style="padding:0pt .7pt 0pt .7pt;width:2.38%;">
  <p align="center" style="margin:0pt 0pt .0001pt;text-align:center;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:1.0pt;">&nbsp;</font></p>
  </td>
  <td width="48%" valign="top" style="padding:0pt .7pt 0pt .7pt;width:48.8%;">
  <p align="center" style="margin:0pt 0pt .0001pt;text-align:center;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">(I.R.S. Employer</font></p>
  </td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
  <td width="48%" valign="top" style="padding:0pt .7pt 0pt .7pt;width:48.8%;">
  <p align="center" style="margin:0pt 0pt .0001pt;text-align:center;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">Incorporation or
  Organization)</font></p>
  </td>
  <td width="2%" valign="bottom" style="padding:0pt .7pt 0pt .7pt;width:2.38%;">
  <p align="center" style="margin:0pt 0pt .0001pt;text-align:center;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:1.0pt;">&nbsp;</font></p>
  </td>
  <td width="48%" valign="top" style="padding:0pt .7pt 0pt .7pt;width:48.8%;">
  <p align="center" style="margin:0pt 0pt .0001pt;text-align:center;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">Identification
  No.)</font></p>
  </td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
  <td width="48%" valign="top" style="padding:0pt .7pt 0pt .7pt;width:48.8%;">
  <p align="center" style="margin:0pt 0pt .0001pt;text-align:center;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">&nbsp;</font></p>
  </td>
  <td width="2%" valign="bottom" style="padding:0pt .7pt 0pt .7pt;width:2.38%;">
  <p align="center" style="margin:0pt 0pt .0001pt;text-align:center;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">&nbsp;</font></p>
  </td>
  <td width="48%" valign="top" style="padding:0pt .7pt 0pt .7pt;width:48.8%;">
  <p align="center" style="margin:0pt 0pt .0001pt;text-align:center;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">&nbsp;</font></p>
  </td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
  <td width="48%" valign="top" style="padding:0pt .7pt 0pt .7pt;width:48.8%;">
  <p align="center" style="margin:0pt 0pt .0001pt;text-align:center;"><b><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;font-weight:bold;">370
  Wabasha Street North</font></b></p>
  </td>
  <td width="2%" valign="bottom" style="padding:0pt .7pt 0pt .7pt;width:2.38%;">
  <p align="center" style="margin:0pt 0pt .0001pt;text-align:center;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:1.0pt;">&nbsp;</font></p>
  </td>
  <td width="48%" valign="top" style="padding:0pt .7pt 0pt .7pt;width:48.8%;">
  <p align="center" style="margin:0pt 0pt .0001pt;text-align:center;"><b><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:1.0pt;font-weight:bold;">&nbsp;</font></b></p>
  </td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
  <td width="48%" valign="top" style="padding:0pt .7pt 0pt .7pt;width:48.8%;">
  <p align="center" style="margin:0pt 0pt .0001pt;text-align:center;"><b><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;font-weight:bold;">St.
  Paul, Minnesota</font></b></p>
  </td>
  <td width="2%" valign="bottom" style="padding:0pt .7pt 0pt .7pt;width:2.38%;">
  <p align="center" style="margin:0pt 0pt .0001pt;text-align:center;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:1.0pt;">&nbsp;</font></p>
  </td>
  <td width="48%" valign="top" style="padding:0pt .7pt 0pt .7pt;width:48.8%;">
  <p align="center" style="margin:0pt 0pt .0001pt;text-align:center;"><b><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;font-weight:bold;">55102</font></b></p>
  </td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
  <td width="48%" valign="top" style="padding:0pt .7pt 0pt .7pt;width:48.8%;">
  <p align="center" style="margin:0pt 0pt .0001pt;text-align:center;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">(Address of
  Principal Executive Offices)</font></p>
  </td>
  <td width="2%" valign="bottom" style="padding:0pt .7pt 0pt .7pt;width:2.38%;">
  <p align="center" style="margin:0pt 0pt .0001pt;text-align:center;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:1.0pt;">&nbsp;</font></p>
  </td>
  <td width="48%" valign="top" style="padding:0pt .7pt 0pt .7pt;width:48.8%;">
  <p align="center" style="margin:0pt 0pt .0001pt;text-align:center;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">(Zip Code)</font></p>
  </td>
 </tr>
</table>

</div>

<p style="line-height:1.0pt;margin:0pt 0pt .0001pt;"><font size="1" face="Times New Roman">&nbsp;</font></p>

<p align="center" style="margin:0pt 0pt .0001pt;text-align:center;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">&nbsp;</font></p>

<div style="line-height:9.0pt;margin:0pt 0pt .0001pt;page-break-after:avoid;text-align:center;"><hr size="1" width="160" noshade color="black" align="center" style="width:120.0pt;"></div>

<p align="center" style="margin:0pt 0pt .0001pt;text-align:center;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">&nbsp;</font></p>

<p style="font-weight:bold;margin:0pt 0pt .0001pt;text-align:center;text-transform:uppercase;"><b><font size="5" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:18.0pt;text-transform:none;">ECOLAB
INC. 2002 STOCK INCENTIVE PLAN</font></b></p>

<p align="center" style="margin:0pt 0pt 12.0pt;text-align:center;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">(Full Title of the
Plan)</font></p>

<div style="line-height:9.0pt;margin:0pt 0pt 12.0pt;page-break-after:avoid;text-align:center;"><hr size="1" width="160" noshade color="black" align="center" style="width:120.0pt;"></div>

<p align="center" style="margin:0pt 0pt .0001pt;text-align:center;"><b><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;font-weight:bold;">Lawrence
T. Bell, Esq.<br>
Senior Vice President,<br>
General Counsel and Secretary<br>
Ecolab Inc.<br>
370 Wabasha Street North<br>
St. Paul, Minnesota 55102<br>
<font style="text-transform:uppercase;">(651) 293-2981</font></font></b></p>

<p align="center" style="margin:0pt 0pt 12.0pt;text-align:center;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">(Name, address and
telephone number,<br>
including area code, of agent for service)</font></p>

<div align="center" style="margin:0pt 0pt 12.0pt;text-align:center;"><hr size="1" width="160" noshade color="black" align="center" style="width:120.0pt;"></div>

<p align="center" style="margin:6.0pt 0pt 12.0pt;text-align:center;"><b><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;font-weight:bold;">Approximate
date of commencement of proposed sale to the public:<br>
Immediately upon the filing of this registration statement</font></b></p>

<div style="margin:0pt 0pt 12.0pt;text-align:center;text-transform:uppercase;"><hr size="1" width="160" noshade color="black" align="center" style="width:120.0pt;"></div>

<p style="font-weight:bold;margin:0pt 0pt 12.0pt;text-align:center;text-transform:uppercase;"><b><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;text-transform:none;">CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE</font></b></p>

<table border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" width="100%" style="border-collapse:collapse;width:100.0%;">
 <tr style="page-break-inside:avoid;">
  <td width="39%" valign="bottom" style="border:none;border-bottom:double windowtext 2.25pt;padding:0pt .7pt 0pt 0pt;width:39.98%;">
  <p style="font-weight:bold;line-height:8.0pt;margin:0pt 0pt .0001pt;page-break-after:avoid;text-align:center;"><b><font size="1" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:8.0pt;">&nbsp;</font></b></p>
  </td>
  <td width="1%" valign="bottom" style="border:none;border-bottom:double windowtext 2.25pt;padding:0pt .7pt 0pt 0pt;width:1.18%;">
  <p style="font-weight:bold;line-height:8.0pt;margin:0pt 0pt .0001pt;page-break-after:avoid;text-align:center;"><b><font size="1" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:8.0pt;">&nbsp;</font></b></p>
  </td>
  <td width="13%" valign="bottom" style="border:none;border-bottom:double windowtext 2.25pt;padding:0pt .7pt 0pt 0pt;width:13.74%;">
  <p style="font-weight:bold;line-height:8.0pt;margin:0pt 0pt .0001pt;page-break-after:avoid;text-align:center;"><b><font size="1" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:8.0pt;">&nbsp;</font></b></p>
  </td>
  <td width="1%" valign="bottom" style="border:none;border-bottom:double windowtext 2.25pt;padding:0pt .7pt 0pt 0pt;width:1.18%;">
  <p style="font-weight:bold;line-height:8.0pt;margin:0pt 0pt .0001pt;page-break-after:avoid;text-align:center;"><b><font size="1" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:8.0pt;">&nbsp;</font></b></p>
  </td>
  <td width="13%" colspan="2" valign="bottom" style="border:none;border-bottom:double windowtext 2.25pt;padding:0pt .7pt 0pt 0pt;width:13.74%;">
  <p style="font-weight:bold;line-height:8.0pt;margin:0pt 0pt .0001pt;page-break-after:avoid;text-align:center;"><b><font size="1" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:8.0pt;">&nbsp;</font></b></p>
  </td>
  <td width="1%" valign="bottom" style="border:none;border-bottom:double windowtext 2.25pt;padding:0pt .7pt 0pt 0pt;width:1.18%;">
  <p style="font-weight:bold;line-height:8.0pt;margin:0pt 0pt .0001pt;page-break-after:avoid;text-align:center;"><b><font size="1" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:8.0pt;">&nbsp;</font></b></p>
  </td>
  <td width="13%" colspan="2" valign="bottom" style="border:none;border-bottom:double windowtext 2.25pt;padding:0pt .7pt 0pt 0pt;width:13.74%;">
  <p style="font-weight:bold;line-height:8.0pt;margin:0pt 0pt .0001pt;page-break-after:avoid;text-align:center;"><b><font size="1" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:8.0pt;">&nbsp;</font></b></p>
  </td>
  <td width="1%" valign="bottom" style="border:none;border-bottom:double windowtext 2.25pt;padding:0pt .7pt 0pt 0pt;width:1.18%;">
  <p style="font-weight:bold;line-height:8.0pt;margin:0pt 0pt .0001pt;page-break-after:avoid;text-align:center;"><b><font size="1" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:8.0pt;">&nbsp;</font></b></p>
  </td>
  <td width="12%" colspan="2" valign="bottom" style="border:none;border-bottom:double windowtext 2.25pt;padding:0pt .7pt 0pt 0pt;width:12.96%;">
  <p style="font-weight:bold;line-height:8.0pt;margin:0pt 0pt .0001pt;page-break-after:avoid;text-align:center;"><b><font size="1" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:8.0pt;">&nbsp;</font></b></p>
  </td>
  <td width="1%" valign="bottom" style="border:none;border-bottom:double windowtext 2.25pt;padding:0pt .7pt 0pt 0pt;width:1.1%;">
  <p style="font-weight:bold;line-height:8.0pt;margin:0pt 0pt .0001pt;text-align:center;"><b><font size="1" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:8.0pt;">&nbsp;</font></b></p>
  </td>
 </tr>
 <tr style="page-break-inside:avoid;">
  <td width="39%" valign="bottom" style="border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.0pt;padding:0pt .7pt 0pt 0pt;width:39.98%;">
  <p style="font-size:8.0pt;font-weight:bold;line-height:8.0pt;margin:0pt 0pt .0001pt;page-break-after:avoid;text-align:center;"><!-- SET mrlNoTableShading -->Title&nbsp;of&nbsp;securities<br>
  to&nbsp;be&nbsp;registered</p>
  </td>
  <td width="1%" valign="bottom" style="border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.0pt;padding:0pt .7pt 0pt 0pt;width:1.18%;">
  <p style="font-weight:bold;line-height:8.0pt;margin:0pt 0pt .0001pt;page-break-after:avoid;text-align:center;"><b><font size="1" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:1.0pt;">&nbsp;</font></b></p>
  </td>
  <td width="13%" valign="bottom" style="border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.0pt;padding:0pt .7pt 0pt 0pt;width:13.74%;">
  <p style="font-weight:bold;line-height:8.0pt;margin:0pt 0pt .0001pt;page-break-after:avoid;text-align:center;"><b><font size="1" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:8.0pt;">Amount&nbsp;to&nbsp;be<br>
  registered(1)</font></b></p>
  </td>
  <td width="1%" valign="bottom" style="border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.0pt;padding:0pt .7pt 0pt 0pt;width:1.18%;">
  <p style="font-weight:bold;line-height:8.0pt;margin:0pt 0pt .0001pt;page-break-after:avoid;text-align:center;"><b><font size="1" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:1.0pt;">&nbsp;</font></b></p>
  </td>
  <td width="13%" colspan="2" valign="bottom" style="border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.0pt;padding:0pt .7pt 0pt 0pt;width:13.74%;">
  <p style="font-weight:bold;line-height:8.0pt;margin:0pt 0pt .0001pt;page-break-after:avoid;text-align:center;"><b><font size="1" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:8.0pt;">Proposed&nbsp;maximum<br>
  offering&nbsp;price&nbsp;per<br>
  unit(2)</font></b></p>
  </td>
  <td width="1%" valign="bottom" style="border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.0pt;padding:0pt .7pt 0pt 0pt;width:1.18%;">
  <p style="font-weight:bold;line-height:8.0pt;margin:0pt 0pt .0001pt;page-break-after:avoid;text-align:center;"><b><font size="1" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:1.0pt;">&nbsp;</font></b></p>
  </td>
  <td width="13%" colspan="2" valign="bottom" style="border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.0pt;padding:0pt .7pt 0pt 0pt;width:13.74%;">
  <p style="font-weight:bold;line-height:8.0pt;margin:0pt 0pt .0001pt;page-break-after:avoid;text-align:center;"><b><font size="1" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:8.0pt;">Proposed&nbsp;maximum<br>
  aggregate&nbsp;offering<br>
  price(2)</font></b></p>
  </td>
  <td width="1%" valign="bottom" style="border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.0pt;padding:0pt .7pt 0pt 0pt;width:1.18%;">
  <p style="font-weight:bold;line-height:8.0pt;margin:0pt 0pt .0001pt;page-break-after:avoid;text-align:center;"><b><font size="1" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:1.0pt;">&nbsp;</font></b></p>
  </td>
  <td width="12%" colspan="2" valign="bottom" style="border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.0pt;padding:0pt .7pt 0pt 0pt;width:12.96%;">
  <p style="font-weight:bold;line-height:8.0pt;margin:0pt 0pt .0001pt;page-break-after:avoid;text-align:center;"><b><font size="1" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:8.0pt;">Amount&nbsp;of<br>
  registration<br>
  fee(2)</font></b></p>
  </td>
  <td width="1%" valign="bottom" style="border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.0pt;padding:0pt .7pt 0pt 0pt;width:1.1%;">
  <p style="font-weight:bold;line-height:8.0pt;margin:0pt 0pt .0001pt;text-align:center;"><b><font size="1" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:1.0pt;">&nbsp;</font></b></p>
  </td>
 </tr>
 <tr style="page-break-inside:avoid;">
  <td width="39%" valign="top" style="border:none;border-bottom:double windowtext 2.25pt;padding:0pt .7pt 0pt 0pt;width:39.98%;">
  <p style="margin:0pt 0pt .0001pt 10.0pt;page-break-after:avoid;text-indent:-10.0pt;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">Common stock, par value
  $1.00 per share(3)</font></p>
  </td>
  <td width="1%" valign="bottom" style="border:none;border-bottom:double windowtext 2.25pt;padding:0pt .7pt 0pt 0pt;width:1.18%;">
  <p style="margin:0pt 0pt .0001pt;page-break-after:avoid;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:1.0pt;">&nbsp;</font></p>
  </td>
  <td width="13%" valign="bottom" style="border:none;border-bottom:double windowtext 2.25pt;padding:0pt .7pt 0pt 0pt;width:13.74%;">
  <p style="margin:0pt 0pt .0001pt;page-break-after:avoid;text-align:right;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">1,100,000</font></p>
  </td>
  <td width="1%" valign="bottom" style="border:none;border-bottom:double windowtext 2.25pt;padding:0pt .7pt 0pt 0pt;width:1.18%;">
  <p style="margin:0pt 0pt .0001pt;page-break-after:avoid;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:1.0pt;">&nbsp;</font></p>
  </td>
  <td width="0%" valign="bottom" style="border:none;border-bottom:double windowtext 2.25pt;padding:0pt 0pt 0pt 0pt;width:.98%;">
  <p align="left" style="margin:0pt 0pt .0001pt;page-break-after:avoid;text-align:left;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">$</font></p>
  </td>
  <td width="12%" valign="bottom" style="border:none;border-bottom:double windowtext 2.25pt;padding:0pt .7pt 0pt 0pt;width:12.74%;">
  <p style="margin:0pt 0pt .0001pt;page-break-after:avoid;text-align:right;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">43.825</font></p>
  </td>
  <td width="1%" valign="bottom" style="border:none;border-bottom:double windowtext 2.25pt;padding:0pt .7pt 0pt 0pt;width:1.18%;">
  <p style="margin:0pt 0pt .0001pt;text-align:right;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:1.0pt;">&nbsp;</font></p>
  </td>
  <td width="0%" valign="bottom" style="border:none;border-bottom:double windowtext 2.25pt;padding:0pt 0pt 0pt 0pt;width:.98%;">
  <p align="left" style="margin:0pt 0pt .0001pt;page-break-after:avoid;text-align:left;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">$</font></p>
  </td>
  <td width="12%" valign="bottom" style="border:none;border-bottom:double windowtext 2.25pt;padding:0pt .7pt 0pt 0pt;width:12.74%;">
  <p style="margin:0pt 0pt .0001pt;page-break-after:avoid;text-align:right;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">48,207,500.00</font></p>
  </td>
  <td width="1%" valign="bottom" style="border:none;border-bottom:double windowtext 2.25pt;padding:0pt .7pt 0pt 0pt;width:1.18%;">
  <p style="margin:0pt 0pt .0001pt;text-align:right;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:1.0pt;">&nbsp;</font></p>
  </td>
  <td width="0%" valign="bottom" style="border:none;border-bottom:double windowtext 2.25pt;padding:0pt 0pt 0pt 0pt;width:.98%;">
  <p align="left" style="margin:0pt 0pt .0001pt;page-break-after:avoid;text-align:left;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">$</font></p>
  </td>
  <td width="11%" valign="bottom" style="border:none;border-bottom:double windowtext 2.25pt;padding:0pt .7pt 0pt 0pt;width:11.98%;">
  <p style="margin:0pt 0pt .0001pt;page-break-after:avoid;text-align:right;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">1,479.97</font></p>
  </td>
  <td width="1%" valign="bottom" style="border:none;border-bottom:double windowtext 2.25pt;padding:0pt .7pt 0pt 0pt;width:1.1%;">
  <p style="margin:0pt 0pt .0001pt;text-align:right;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:1.0pt;">&nbsp;</font></p>
  </td>
 </tr>
 <tr height="0">
  <td width="299" style="border:none;"></td>
  <td width="9" style="border:none;"></td>
  <td width="103" style="border:none;"></td>
  <td width="9" style="border:none;"></td>
  <td width="7" style="border:none;"></td>
  <td width="97" style="border:none;"></td>
  <td width="9" style="border:none;"></td>
  <td width="7" style="border:none;"></td>
  <td width="97" style="border:none;"></td>
  <td width="9" style="border:none;"></td>
  <td width="7" style="border:none;"></td>
  <td width="89" style="border:none;"></td>
  <td width="8" style="border:none;"></td>
 </tr>
</table>

<p style="line-height:1.0pt;margin:0pt 0pt .0001pt;"><font size="1" face="Times New Roman">&nbsp;</font></p>

<p style="margin:0pt 0pt .0001pt;"><font size="1" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:4.0pt;">&nbsp;</font></p>

<div style="margin:0pt 0pt .0001pt;page-break-after:avoid;"><hr size="1" width="160" noshade color="black" align="left" style="width:120.0pt;"></div>

<p style="font-size:10.0pt;margin:0pt 0pt 12.0pt 36.0pt;text-indent:-18.0pt;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">(1)</font><font size="1" style="font-size:3.0pt;">&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160; </font>In addition, pursuant to
Rule 416(a) under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, this Registration
Statement also covers an indeterminate number of additional shares of common
stock to be offered or sold as a result of the anti-dilution provisions of the
employee benefit plan described in this Registration Statement.</p>

<p style="font-size:10.0pt;margin:0pt 0pt 12.0pt 36.0pt;text-indent:-18.0pt;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">(2)</font><font size="1" style="font-size:3.0pt;">&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160; </font>Estimated solely for the
purpose of calculating the registration fee in accordance with Rule 457(h)(1)
and (c) under the Securities Act, based upon the average of the high and low
sale prices of the registrant&#146;s common stock on February 26, 2007, as reported
on the Consolidated Transaction Reporting System of the New York Stock
Exchange.</p>

<p style="font-size:10.0pt;margin:0pt 0pt 12.0pt 36.0pt;text-indent:-18.0pt;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">(3)</font><font size="1" style="font-size:3.0pt;">&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160; </font>Each share of common
stock includes a preferred stock purchase right issued pursuant to the terms of
the registrant&#146;s Rights Agreement dated as of February 24, 2006.</p>


 <div style="border:none;border-bottom:double windowtext 6.0pt;padding:0pt 0pt 0pt 0pt;"> <p style="border:none;margin:0pt 0pt .0001pt;padding:0pt;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">&nbsp;</font></p> </div>
</div><br><hr size="3" width="100%" noshade color="#010101" align="center">

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<p align="center" style="margin:0pt 0pt 12.0pt 18.0pt;text-align:center;text-indent:-18.0pt;"><b><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;font-weight:bold;">EXPLANATORY NOTE</font></b></p>

<p style="margin:0pt 0pt 12.0pt;"><b><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;font-weight:bold;">(All share amounts stated in the
paragraph below have been adjusted for a 2 for 1 stock split on June 6, 2003.)</font></b></p>

<p style="margin:0pt 0pt 12.0pt;text-indent:36.0pt;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">On May 27, 1999, a total of 12,000,000 shares of the
common stock (with preferred stock purchase rights) of Ecolab Inc. (&#147;Ecolab&#148;)
were registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission (&#147;SEC&#148;) by a
Registration Statement on Form S-8 (File No. 333-79449) in connection with the
Ecolab Inc. 1997 Stock Incentive Plan (the &#147;1997 Plan&#148;).&#160; On February 22, 2002, the Board of Directors
of Ecolab adopted the Ecolab Inc. 2002 Stock Incentive Plan (the &#147;2002 Plan&#148;).&#160; The Board reserved a maximum of 12,000,000
shares of common stock for issuance under the 2002 Plan, plus any shares of
common stock which, as of the May 10, 2002 effective date of the 2002 Plan,
were reserved for issuance under the 1997 Plan and are not thereafter issued
and would otherwise have been available under the 1997 Plan.&#160; On August 9, 2002, a Registration Statement
on Form S-8 (File No. 333-97927) was filed by Ecolab to (a) register 12,000,000
&#147;new&#148; shares for the 2002 Plan and (b) register 2,200,000 shares that were
remaining and unissued under the 1997 Plan as of the effective date.</font></p>

<p style="margin:0pt 0pt 12.0pt;text-indent:36.0pt;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">Subsequent to the effective date, an additional
1,405,378 shares of Ecolab common stock previously reserved for issuance under
the 1997 Plan became available for the 2002 Plan and on May 17, 2004, a
Registration Statement on Form S-8 (File No. 333-115568) was filed by Ecolab to
register such additional 1,405,378 shares.</font></p>

<p style="margin:0pt 0pt 12.0pt;text-indent:36.0pt;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">Also, subsequent to the filing of the Registration
Statement on Form S-8 on May 17, 2004, an additional 271,698 shares of Ecolab
common stock previously reserved for issuance under the 1997 Plan became
available for the 2002 Plan and on November 3, 2005, a Registration Statement
on Form S-8 (File No. 333-129428) was filed by Ecolab to register such
additional 271,698 shares.</font></p>

<p style="margin:0pt 0pt 12.0pt;text-indent:36.0pt;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">This Registration Statement is being filed solely for
the purpose of registering 1,100,000 additional shares of common stock of
Ecolab for issuance pursuant to the 2002 Plan.&#160;
The securities subject to this Registration Statement are of the same
class of securities for which Ecolab previously filed Registration Statements
on Form S-8.&#160; The 1,100,000 additional
shares became available for issuance pursuant to the terms of the 2002 Plan,
which provides shares of common stock that are repurchased by Ecolab on the
open market or in private transactions may be added to the aggregate number of
shares available for issuance under the 2002 Plan, so long as the aggregate
price paid for such repurchased shares does not exceed the cumulative amount
received in cash upon the exercise of options or incentive awards under the
2002 Plan.</font></p>

<p style="margin:0pt 0pt 12.0pt;text-indent:36.0pt;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">After giving effect to this Registration Statement, an
aggregate of 16,977,076 shares of Ecolab&#146;s common stock have been registered
for issuance pursuant to the 2002 Plan.&#160;
Additional shares may become available in the future, and may also be
registered for issuance under the 2002 Plan pursuant to subsequent Registration
Statements.</font></p>

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<p style="font-weight:bold;margin:0pt 0pt 12.0pt;text-align:center;text-transform:uppercase;"><b><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;text-transform:none;">PART I</font></b></p>

<p align="center" style="margin:0pt 0pt 12.0pt;text-align:center;"><b><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;font-weight:bold;">INFORMATION REQUIRED<br>
IN THE SECTION 10(a) PROSPECTUS</font></b></p>

<p style="margin:0pt 0pt 12.0pt;text-indent:36.0pt;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">The documents containing the information specified in
Part I of Form S-8 have been or will be sent or given to participants as
specified by Rule 428(b)(1) under the Securities Act of 1933 (the &#147;Securities
Act&#148;).</font></p>


 <p style="margin:24.0pt 0pt .0001pt;text-align:center;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:11.0pt;">1</font></p> <br><hr size="3" width="100%" noshade color="#010101" align="center">

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<p style="font-weight:bold;margin:0pt 0pt 12.0pt;text-align:center;text-transform:uppercase;"><b><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;text-transform:none;">PART II</font></b></p>

<p style="font-weight:bold;margin:0pt 0pt 12.0pt;text-align:center;text-transform:uppercase;"><b><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;text-transform:none;">INFORMATION
REQUIRED<br>
IN THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT</font></b></p>

<p style="font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:10.0pt;margin:0pt 0pt 12.0pt;"><b><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;font-weight:bold;">Item 3.</font></b><b><font size="1" style="font-size:3.0pt;font-weight:bold;">&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160; </font>Incorporation of
Documents by Reference.</b></p>

<p style="margin:0pt 0pt 12.0pt;text-indent:0pt;"><b><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;font-weight:bold;">Incorporation by Reference</font></b></p>

<p style="margin:0pt 0pt 12.0pt;text-indent:36.0pt;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">The following documents filed by Ecolab (File No.
1-9328) with the SEC are incorporated by reference in this Registration
Statement:</font></p>

<p style="font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:10.0pt;margin:0pt 0pt 12.0pt 72.0pt;text-indent:-36.0pt;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">(1)</font><font size="1" style="font-size:3.0pt;">&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160; </font>Annual
report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2006;</p>

<p style="font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:10.0pt;margin:0pt 0pt 12.0pt 72.0pt;text-indent:-36.0pt;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">(2)</font><font size="1" style="font-size:3.0pt;">&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160; </font>All
other reports filed by Ecolab pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the &#147;Exchange Act&#148;), since December
31, 2006; and</p>

<p style="font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:10.0pt;margin:0pt 0pt 12.0pt 72.0pt;text-indent:-36.0pt;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">(3)</font><font size="1" style="font-size:3.0pt;">&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160; </font>The
descriptions of Ecolab&#146;s common stock, preferred stock and preferred stock
purchase rights contained in its registration statements on Form 8-A, including
any amendments or reports filed for the purpose of updating these descriptions.</p>

<p style="margin:0pt 0pt 12.0pt;text-indent:36.0pt;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">All documents filed by Ecolab with the SEC pursuant to
Sections 13(a), 13(c), 14 and 15(d) of the Exchange Act after the date of this
Registration Statement and prior to the filing of a post-effective amendment
which indicates that all securities offered pursuant to this Registration
Statement have been sold or that deregisters all securities then remaining
unsold, will be deemed to be incorporated by reference in this Registration
Statement and to be a part of this Registration Statement from the date of
filing of these documents.</font></p>

<p style="margin:0pt 54.0pt 12.0pt 0pt;text-autospace:none;"><b><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;font-weight:bold;">Experts</font></b></p>

<p style="margin:0pt 0pt 12.0pt;text-autospace:none;text-indent:36.0pt;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">The financial statements and
management&#146;s assessment of the effectiveness of internal control over financial
reporting (which is included in Management&#146;s Report on Internal Control over
Financial Reporting) incorporated in this Registration Statement by reference
to the Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2006 have
been so incorporated in reliance on the reports of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP,
an independent registered public accounting firm, given on the authority of
said firm as experts in auditing and accounting.</font></p>

<p style="font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:10.0pt;margin:0pt 0pt 12.0pt;page-break-after:avoid;"><b><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;font-weight:bold;">Item 4.</font></b><b><font size="1" style="font-size:3.0pt;font-weight:bold;">&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160; </font>Description of
Securities.</b></p>

<p style="margin:0pt 0pt 12.0pt;text-indent:36.0pt;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">Not applicable.&#160;
Ecolab&#146;s common stock and preferred stock purchase rights to be offered
and sold pursuant to this registration statement are registered under Section
12 of the Exchange Act.</font></p>

<p style="font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:10.0pt;margin:0pt 0pt 12.0pt;page-break-after:avoid;"><b><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;font-weight:bold;">Item 5.</font></b><b><font size="1" style="font-size:3.0pt;font-weight:bold;">&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160; </font>Interests
of Named Experts and Counsel.</b></p>

<p style="margin:0pt 0pt 12.0pt;text-indent:36.0pt;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">The validity of the securities has been passed upon by
Sarah Z. Erickson, Associate General Counsel &#150; Corporate and Assistant
Secretary for Ecolab.&#160; Ms. Erickson
beneficially owns shares of Ecolab common stock and has options to purchase
Ecolab common stock under Ecolab stock incentive plans.</font></p>


 <p style="margin:24.0pt 0pt .0001pt;text-align:center;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:11.0pt;">2</font></p> <br><hr size="3" width="100%" noshade color="#010101" align="center">

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<p style="font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:10.0pt;margin:0pt 0pt 12.0pt;page-break-after:avoid;"><b><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;font-weight:bold;">Item 6.</font></b><b><font size="1" style="font-size:3.0pt;font-weight:bold;">&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160; </font>Indemnification of
Directors and Officers.</b></p>

<p style="margin:0pt 0pt 12.0pt;text-indent:36.0pt;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">Subsection (a) of Section 145 of the General
Corporation Law of Delaware empowers a corporation to indemnify any person who
was or is a party or is threatened to be made a party to any threatened,
pending or completed action, suit or proceeding, whether civil, criminal,
administrative or investigative (other than an action by or in the right of the
corporation), by reason of the fact that such person is or was a director,
officer, employee or agent of the corporation or is or was serving at the
request of the corporation as a director, officer, employee or agent of another
corporation or enterprise, against expenses (including attorneys&#146; fees),
judgments, fines and amounts paid in settlement actually and reasonably
incurred by such person in connection with such action, suit or proceeding if
such person acted in good faith and in a manner such person reasonably believed
to be in or not opposed to the best interests of the corporation, and with
respect to any criminal action or proceeding, had no reasonable cause to
believe such person&#146;s conduct was unlawful.</font></p>

<p style="margin:0pt 0pt 12.0pt;text-indent:36.0pt;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">Subsection (b) of Section 145 empowers a corporation
to indemnify any person who was or is a party or threatened to be made a party
to any threatened, pending or completed action or suit by or in the right of
the corporation to procure a judgment in its favor by reason of the fact that
such person acted in any of the capacities set forth above, against expenses
actually and reasonably incurred by such person in connection with the defense
or settlement of such action or suit if such person acted under similar
standards, except that no indemnification may be made in respect of any claim,
issue or matter as to which such person shall have been adjudged to be liable
to the corporation unless and only to the extent that the Court of Chancery or
the court in which the action or suit was brought shall determine that, despite
the adjudication of liability, the person is fairly and reasonably entitled to
indemnity for the expenses which the court shall deem proper.</font></p>

<p style="margin:0pt 0pt 12.0pt;text-indent:36.0pt;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">Section 145 further provides that, to the extent a
director or officer of a corporation has been successful in the defense of any
action, suit or proceeding referred to in subsections (a) and (b) or in the
defense of any claim, issue or matter therein, the person shall be indemnified
against expenses (including attorneys&#146; fees) actually and reasonably incurred
in connection therewith; that indemnification provided for by Section 145 shall
not be deemed exclusive of any other rights to which the indemnified party may
be entitled; and that the scope of indemnification extends to directors,
officers, employees or agents of a constituent corporation absorbed in a
consolidation or merger and persons serving in that capacity at the request of
the constituent corporation for another.&#160;
Section 145 also empowers the corporation to purchase and maintain
insurance on behalf of a director or officer of the corporation against any
liability asserted against or incurred by the person in any such capacity or
arising out of the person&#146;s status as such, whether or not the corporation
would have the power to indemnify the person against such liabilities under
Section 145, including liabilities under the Securities Act.</font></p>

<p style="margin:0pt 0pt 12.0pt;text-indent:36.0pt;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">Article V of Ecolab&#146;s By-Laws provides for
indemnification of Ecolab&#146;s officers and directors to the full extent allowed
by Delaware law.</font></p>

<p style="margin:0pt 0pt 12.0pt;text-indent:36.0pt;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">In addition, Article IV of Ecolab&#146;s Restated
Certificate of Incorporation provides that Ecolab&#146;s directors do not have
personal liability to Ecolab or its stockholders for monetary damages for any
breach of their fiduciary duty as directors, except (1) for a breach of the
duty of loyalty, (2) for acts or omissions not in good faith or which involve
intentional misconduct or knowing violation of the law, (3) for willful or
negligent violations of certain provisions under the General Corporation Law of
Delaware imposing certain requirements with respect to stock repurchases,
redemptions and dividends, or (4) for any transaction from which the director
derived an improper personal benefit.&#160;
Subject to these exceptions, under Article IV, directors do not have any
personal liability to Ecolab or its stockholders for any violation of their
fiduciary duty.</font></p>


 <p style="margin:24.0pt 0pt .0001pt;text-align:center;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:11.0pt;">3</font></p> <br><hr size="3" width="100%" noshade color="#010101" align="center">

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<p style="margin:0pt 0pt 12.0pt;text-indent:36.0pt;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">Ecolab has directors and officers liability insurance
which protects each director or officer from certain claims and suits,
including stockholder derivative suits, even where the director may be
determined to not be entitled to indemnification under the General Corporation
Law of Delaware and claims and suits arising under the Securities Act.&#160; The policy may also afford coverage under
circumstances where the facts do not justify a finding that the director or
officer acted in good faith and in a manner that was in or not opposed to the
best interests of Ecolab.</font></p>

<p style="margin:0pt 0pt 12.0pt;text-indent:36.0pt;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">Ecolab has entered into indemnification agreements
with each of its directors.&#160; These
indemnification agreements provide for the prompt indemnification &#147;to the
fullest extent permitted by law&#148; and for the prompt advancement of expenses,
including attorneys&#146; fees and other costs, expenses and obligations paid or
incurred in connection with investigating, defending, being a witness or
participating in (including on appeal) any threatened, pending or completed
action, suit or proceeding related to the fact that the director is or was a
director, officer, employee, trustee, agent or fiduciary of Ecolab or is or was
serving at the request of Ecolab as a director, officer, employee, trustee,
agent or fiduciary of another corporation, partnership, joint venture, employee
benefit plan trust or other enterprise, or by reason of anything done or not
done by a director in any such capacity.&#160;
The indemnification agreements further provide that Ecolab has the
burden of proving that a director is not entitled to indemnification in any
particular case.</font></p>

<p style="margin:0pt 0pt 12.0pt;text-indent:36.0pt;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">The foregoing represents a summary of the general
effect of the General Corporation Law of Delaware, Ecolab&#146;s By-Laws and
Restated Certificate of Incorporation, Ecolab&#146;s directors and officers
liability insurance coverage and the indemnification agreements for purposes of
general description only.</font></p>

<p style="font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:10.0pt;margin:0pt 0pt 12.0pt;page-break-after:avoid;"><b><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;font-weight:bold;">Item 7.</font></b><b><font size="1" style="font-size:3.0pt;font-weight:bold;">&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160; </font>Exemptions from Registration
Claimed.</b></p>

<p style="margin:0pt 0pt 12.0pt;text-indent:36.0pt;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">Not applicable.&#160; No securities are to be re-offered or resold
pursuant to this registration statement.</font></p>

<p style="font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:10.0pt;margin:0pt 0pt 12.0pt;page-break-after:avoid;"><b><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;font-weight:bold;">Item 8.</font></b><b><font size="1" style="font-size:3.0pt;font-weight:bold;">&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160; </font>Exhibits.</b></p>

<p style="margin:0pt 0pt 12.0pt;text-indent:36.0pt;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">The following is a complete list of exhibits filed or
incorporated by reference as part of this registration statement:</font></p>

<table border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" width="100%" style="border-collapse:collapse;font-family:Times New Roman;width:100.0%;">
 <tr style="page-break-inside:avoid;">
  <td width="10%" valign="top" style="border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.0pt;padding:0pt .7pt 0pt 0pt;width:10.6%;">
  <p align="left" style="font-size:8.0pt;font-weight:bold;line-height:8.0pt;margin:0pt 0pt .0001pt;text-align:left;"><!-- SET mrlNoTableShading -->Exhibit No.</p>
  </td>
  <td width="2%" valign="top" style="padding:0pt .7pt 0pt 0pt;width:2.8%;">
  <p style="font-weight:bold;line-height:8.0pt;margin:0pt 0pt .0001pt;text-align:center;"><b><font size="1" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:1.0pt;">&nbsp;</font></b></p>
  </td>
  <td width="86%" valign="top" style="border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.0pt;padding:0pt .7pt 0pt 0pt;width:86.6%;">
  <p style="font-weight:bold;line-height:8.0pt;margin:0pt 0pt .0001pt;text-align:center;"><b><font size="1" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:8.0pt;">Description</font></b></p>
  </td>
 </tr>
 <tr style="page-break-inside:avoid;">
  <td width="10%" valign="top" style="border:none;padding:0pt .7pt 0pt 0pt;width:10.6%;">
  <p style="margin:0pt 0pt .0001pt;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">&nbsp;</font></p>
  </td>
  <td width="2%" valign="top" style="padding:0pt .7pt 0pt 0pt;width:2.8%;">
  <p style="margin:0pt 0pt .0001pt;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">&nbsp;</font></p>
  </td>
  <td width="86%" valign="top" style="border:none;padding:0pt .7pt 0pt 0pt;width:86.6%;">
  <p style="margin:0pt 0pt .0001pt;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">&nbsp;</font></p>
  </td>
 </tr>
 <tr style="page-break-inside:avoid;">
  <td width="10%" valign="top" style="padding:0pt .7pt 0pt 0pt;width:10.6%;">
  <p style="margin:0pt 0pt .0001pt;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">5.1</font></p>
  </td>
  <td width="2%" valign="top" style="padding:0pt .7pt 0pt 0pt;width:2.8%;">
  <p style="margin:0pt 0pt .0001pt;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:1.0pt;">&nbsp;</font></p>
  </td>
  <td width="86%" valign="top" style="padding:0pt .7pt 0pt 0pt;width:86.6%;">
  <p style="margin:0pt 0pt .0001pt;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">Opinion and Consent of Sarah Z. Erickson (filed
  herewith electronically).</font></p>
  </td>
 </tr>
 <tr style="page-break-inside:avoid;">
  <td width="10%" valign="top" style="padding:0pt .7pt 0pt 0pt;width:10.6%;">
  <p style="margin:0pt 0pt .0001pt;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">&nbsp;</font></p>
  </td>
  <td width="2%" valign="top" style="padding:0pt .7pt 0pt 0pt;width:2.8%;">
  <p style="margin:0pt 0pt .0001pt;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">&nbsp;</font></p>
  </td>
  <td width="86%" valign="top" style="padding:0pt .7pt 0pt 0pt;width:86.6%;">
  <p style="margin:0pt 0pt .0001pt;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">&nbsp;</font></p>
  </td>
 </tr>
 <tr style="page-break-inside:avoid;">
  <td width="10%" valign="top" style="padding:0pt .7pt 0pt 0pt;width:10.6%;">
  <p style="margin:0pt 0pt .0001pt;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">23.1</font></p>
  </td>
  <td width="2%" valign="top" style="padding:0pt .7pt 0pt 0pt;width:2.8%;">
  <p style="margin:0pt 0pt .0001pt;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:1.0pt;">&nbsp;</font></p>
  </td>
  <td width="86%" valign="top" style="padding:0pt .7pt 0pt 0pt;width:86.6%;">
  <p style="margin:0pt 0pt .0001pt;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">Consent of Independent Registered Public Accounting
  Firm (filed herewith electronically).</font></p>
  </td>
 </tr>
 <tr style="page-break-inside:avoid;">
  <td width="10%" valign="top" style="padding:0pt .7pt 0pt 0pt;width:10.6%;">
  <p style="margin:0pt 0pt .0001pt;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">&nbsp;</font></p>
  </td>
  <td width="2%" valign="top" style="padding:0pt .7pt 0pt 0pt;width:2.8%;">
  <p style="margin:0pt 0pt .0001pt;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">&nbsp;</font></p>
  </td>
  <td width="86%" valign="top" style="padding:0pt .7pt 0pt 0pt;width:86.6%;">
  <p style="margin:0pt 0pt .0001pt;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">&nbsp;</font></p>
  </td>
 </tr>
 <tr style="page-break-inside:avoid;">
  <td width="10%" valign="top" style="padding:0pt .7pt 0pt 0pt;width:10.6%;">
  <p style="margin:0pt 0pt .0001pt;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">23.2</font></p>
  </td>
  <td width="2%" valign="top" style="padding:0pt .7pt 0pt 0pt;width:2.8%;">
  <p style="margin:0pt 0pt .0001pt;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:1.0pt;">&nbsp;</font></p>
  </td>
  <td width="86%" valign="top" style="padding:0pt .7pt 0pt 0pt;width:86.6%;">
  <p style="margin:0pt 0pt .0001pt;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">Consent of Sarah Z. Erickson (included in Exhibit
  5.1).</font></p>
  </td>
 </tr>
 <tr style="page-break-inside:avoid;">
  <td width="10%" valign="top" style="padding:0pt .7pt 0pt 0pt;width:10.6%;">
  <p style="margin:0pt 0pt .0001pt;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">&nbsp;</font></p>
  </td>
  <td width="2%" valign="top" style="padding:0pt .7pt 0pt 0pt;width:2.8%;">
  <p style="margin:0pt 0pt .0001pt;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">&nbsp;</font></p>
  </td>
  <td width="86%" valign="top" style="padding:0pt .7pt 0pt 0pt;width:86.6%;">
  <p style="margin:0pt 0pt .0001pt;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">&nbsp;</font></p>
  </td>
 </tr>
 <tr style="page-break-inside:avoid;">
  <td width="10%" valign="top" style="padding:0pt .7pt 0pt 0pt;width:10.6%;">
  <p style="margin:0pt 0pt .0001pt;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">24.1</font></p>
  </td>
  <td width="2%" valign="top" style="padding:0pt .7pt 0pt 0pt;width:2.8%;">
  <p style="margin:0pt 0pt .0001pt;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:1.0pt;">&nbsp;</font></p>
  </td>
  <td width="86%" valign="top" style="padding:0pt .7pt 0pt 0pt;width:86.6%;">
  <p style="margin:0pt 0pt .0001pt;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">Powers of Attorney (filed herewith electronically).</font></p>
  </td>
 </tr>
</table>

<p style="line-height:1.0pt;margin:0pt 0pt 12.0pt;"><font size="1" face="Times New Roman">&nbsp;</font></p>

<p style="font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:10.0pt;margin:0pt 0pt 12.0pt;page-break-after:avoid;"><b><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;font-weight:bold;">Item 9.</font></b><b><font size="1" style="font-size:3.0pt;font-weight:bold;">&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160; </font>Undertakings.</b></p>

<p style="font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:10.0pt;margin:0pt 0pt 12.0pt;text-indent:18.0pt;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">(a)</font><font size="1" style="font-size:3.0pt;">&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160; </font>The undersigned
registrant hereby undertakes:</p>

<p style="font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:10.0pt;margin:0pt 0pt 12.0pt 90.0pt;text-indent:-36.0pt;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">(1)</font><font size="1" style="font-size:3.0pt;">&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160; </font>To
file, during any period in which offers or sales are being made, a
post-effective amendment to this registration statement:</p>

<p style="font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:10.0pt;margin:0pt 0pt 12.0pt 126.0pt;text-indent:-36.0pt;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">(i)</font><font size="1" style="font-size:3.0pt;">&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160; </font>To
include any prospectus required by Section 10(a)(3) of the Securities Act;</p>


 <p style="margin:24.0pt 0pt .0001pt;text-align:center;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:11.0pt;">4</font></p> <br><hr size="3" width="100%" noshade color="#010101" align="center">

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<p style="font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:10.0pt;margin:0pt 0pt 12.0pt 126.0pt;text-indent:-36.0pt;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">(ii)</font><font size="1" style="font-size:3.0pt;">&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160; </font>To
reflect in the prospectus any facts or events arising after the effective date
of this registration statement (or the most recent post-effective amendment
hereof) which, individually or in the aggregate, represent a fundamental change
in the information set forth in this registration statement.&#160; Notwithstanding the foregoing, any increase
or decrease in volume of securities offered (if the total dollar value of
securities offered would not exceed that which was registered) and any
deviation from the low or high end of the estimated maximum offering range may
be reflected in the form of prospectus filed with the SEC pursuant to Rule
424(b) under the Securities Act if, in the aggregate, the changes in volume and
price represent no more than a 20% change in the maximum aggregate offering
price set forth in the &#147;Calculation of Registration Fee&#148; table in the effective
Registration Statement;</p>

<p style="font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:10.0pt;margin:0pt 0pt 12.0pt 126.0pt;text-indent:-36.0pt;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">(iii)</font><font size="1" style="font-size:3.0pt;">&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160; </font>To include any material
information with respect to the plan of distribution not previously disclosed
in this Registration Statement or any material change to such information in
this Registration Statement.</p>

<p style="font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:10.0pt;margin:0pt 0pt 12.0pt 90.0pt;"><u><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">Provided</font></u>, <u>however</u>, that
paragraphs (a)(1)(i) and (a)(1)(ii) above do not apply if the information
required to be included in a post-effective amendment by those paragraphs is
contained in periodic reports filed with or furnished to the SEC by the
registrant pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Exchange Act that are
incorporated by reference in this Registration Statement.</p>

<p style="font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:10.0pt;margin:0pt 0pt 12.0pt 90.0pt;text-indent:-36.0pt;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">(2)</font><font size="1" style="font-size:3.0pt;">&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160; </font>That,
for the purpose of determining any liability under the Securities Act, each
such post-effective amendment shall be deemed to be a new Registration
Statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of such
securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering
thereof.</p>

<p style="font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:10.0pt;margin:0pt 0pt 12.0pt 90.0pt;text-indent:-36.0pt;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">(3)</font><font size="1" style="font-size:3.0pt;">&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160; </font>To
remove from registration by means of a post-effective amendment any of the
securities being registered which remain unsold at the termination of the
offering.</p>

<p style="font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:10.0pt;margin:0pt 0pt 12.0pt 54.0pt;text-indent:-36.0pt;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">(b)</font><font size="1" style="font-size:3.0pt;">&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160; </font>The
undersigned registrant hereby undertakes that, for purposes of determining any
liability under the Securities Act, each filing of the registrant&#146;s annual
report pursuant to Section 13(a) or Section 15(d) of the Exchange Act (and
where applicable, each filing of an employee benefit plan&#146;s annual report
pursuant to Section 15(d) of the Exchange Act) that is incorporated by
reference in this Registration Statement shall be deemed to be a new
Registration Statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the
offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona
fide offering thereof.</p>

<p style="font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:10.0pt;margin:0pt 0pt 12.0pt 54.0pt;text-indent:-36.0pt;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">(c)</font><font size="1" style="font-size:3.0pt;">&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160; </font>Insofar
as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act may be
permitted to directors, officers and controlling persons of the registrant
pursuant to the foregoing provisions, or otherwise, the registrant has been
advised that in the opinion of the SEC such indemnification is against public
policy as expressed in the Securities Act, and is therefore,
unenforceable.&#160; In the event that a claim
for indemnification against such liabilities (other than the payment by the
registrant of expenses incurred or paid by a director, officer or controlling
person of the registrant in the successful defense of any action, suit or
proceeding) is asserted by such director, officer or controlling person in
connection with the securities being registered, the registrant will, unless in
the opinion of its counsel the matter has been settled by controlling
precedent, submit to a court of appropriate jurisdiction the question whether
such indemnification by it is against public policy as expressed in the
Securities Act and will be governed by the final adjudication of such issue.</p>


 <p style="margin:24.0pt 0pt .0001pt;text-align:center;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:11.0pt;">5</font></p> <br><hr size="3" width="100%" noshade color="#010101" align="center">

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<p style="font-weight:bold;margin:0pt 0pt 12.0pt;text-align:center;text-transform:uppercase;"><b><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;text-transform:none;">SIGNATURES</font></b></p>

<p style="margin:0pt 0pt 24.0pt;page-break-after:avoid;text-indent:54.0pt;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">Pursuant to the
requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, the registrant certifies that it
has reasonable grounds to believe that it meets all of the requirements of
filing on Form S-8 and has duly caused this registration statement to be signed
on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, in the City of St.
Paul, State of Minnesota, on March 1, 2007.</font></p>

<table border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" width="100%" style="border-collapse:collapse;font-family:Times New Roman;width:100.0%;">
 <tr style="page-break-inside:avoid;">
  <td width="50%" valign="top" style="padding:0pt .7pt 0pt 0pt;width:50.0%;">
  <p style="margin:0pt 0pt .0001pt;"><b><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:1.0pt;font-weight:bold;">&nbsp;</font></b></p>
  </td>
  <td width="50%" colspan="2" valign="top" style="padding:0pt .7pt 0pt 0pt;width:50.0%;">
  <p style="font-size:10.0pt;margin:0pt 0pt .0001pt;"><!-- SET mrlNoTableShading --><b>ECOLAB INC.</b></p>
  </td>
 </tr>
 <tr style="page-break-inside:avoid;">
  <td width="50%" valign="top" style="padding:0pt .7pt 0pt 0pt;width:50.0%;">
  <p style="margin:0pt 0pt .0001pt;"><b><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;font-weight:bold;">&nbsp;</font></b></p>
  </td>
  <td width="50%" colspan="2" valign="top" style="padding:0pt .7pt 0pt 0pt;width:50.0%;">
  <p style="margin:0pt 0pt .0001pt;"><b><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;font-weight:bold;">&nbsp;</font></b></p>
  </td>
 </tr>
 <tr style="page-break-inside:avoid;">
  <td width="50%" valign="top" style="padding:0pt .7pt 0pt 0pt;width:50.0%;">
  <p style="margin:0pt 0pt .0001pt;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:1.0pt;">&nbsp;</font></p>
  </td>
  <td width="4%" valign="top" style="padding:0pt .7pt 0pt 0pt;width:4.72%;">
  <p style="margin:0pt 0pt .0001pt;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">By:</font></p>
  </td>
  <td width="45%" valign="top" style="border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.0pt;padding:0pt .7pt 0pt 0pt;width:45.28%;">
  <p style="margin:0pt 0pt .0001pt;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">/s/Douglas M.
  Baker, Jr.</font></p>
  </td>
 </tr>
 <tr style="page-break-inside:avoid;">
  <td width="50%" valign="top" style="padding:0pt .7pt 0pt 0pt;width:50.0%;">
  <p style="margin:0pt 0pt .0001pt;"><i><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:1.0pt;font-style:italic;">&nbsp;</font></i></p>
  </td>
  <td width="4%" valign="top" style="padding:0pt .7pt 0pt 0pt;width:4.72%;">
  <p style="margin:0pt 0pt .0001pt;"><i><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:1.0pt;font-style:italic;">&nbsp;</font></i></p>
  </td>
  <td width="45%" valign="top" style="padding:0pt .7pt 0pt 0pt;width:45.28%;">
  <p style="margin:0pt 0pt .0001pt;"><i><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;font-style:italic;">Chairman
  of the Board, President and</font></i></p>
  </td>
 </tr>
 <tr style="page-break-inside:avoid;">
  <td width="50%" valign="top" style="padding:0pt .7pt 0pt 0pt;width:50.0%;">
  <p style="margin:0pt 0pt .0001pt;"><i><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:1.0pt;font-style:italic;">&nbsp;</font></i></p>
  </td>
  <td width="4%" valign="top" style="padding:0pt .7pt 0pt 0pt;width:4.72%;">
  <p style="margin:0pt 0pt .0001pt;"><i><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:1.0pt;font-style:italic;">&nbsp;</font></i></p>
  </td>
  <td width="45%" valign="top" style="padding:0pt .7pt 0pt 0pt;width:45.28%;">
  <p style="margin:0pt 0pt .0001pt;"><i><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;font-style:italic;">Chief
  Executive Officer</font></i></p>
  </td>
 </tr>
</table>

<p style="line-height:1.0pt;margin:0pt 0pt 12.0pt;"><font size="1" face="Times New Roman">&nbsp;</font></p>

<p style="margin:0pt 0pt 12.0pt;page-break-after:avoid;text-indent:54.0pt;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman"><font style="font-size:10.0pt;">Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, this
registration statement has been signed on March 1</font>, 2007 by the following persons in the capacities
indicated. </font></p>

<table border="1" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" width="100%" style="border:none;border-collapse:collapse;font-family:Times New Roman;width:100.0%;">
 <tr style="page-break-inside:avoid;">
  <td width="45%" valign="top" style="border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.0pt;padding:0pt .7pt 0pt 0pt;width:45.42%;">
  <p align="left" style="font-size:8.0pt;font-weight:bold;line-height:8.0pt;margin:0pt 0pt .0001pt;text-align:left;"><!-- SET mrlHTMLTableFull --><!-- SET mrlNoTableShading -->Signature</p>
  </td>
  <td width="2%" valign="top" style="border:none;padding:0pt .7pt 0pt 0pt;width:2.38%;">
  <p style="font-weight:bold;line-height:8.0pt;margin:0pt 0pt .0001pt;text-align:center;"><b><font size="1" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:1.0pt;">&nbsp;</font></b></p>
  </td>
  <td width="52%" valign="top" style="border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.0pt;padding:0pt .7pt 0pt 0pt;width:52.2%;">
  <p style="font-weight:bold;line-height:8.0pt;margin:0pt 0pt .0001pt;text-align:center;"><b><font size="1" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:8.0pt;">Title</font></b></p>
  </td>
 </tr>
 <tr style="page-break-inside:avoid;">
  <td width="45%" valign="top" style="border:none;padding:0pt .7pt 0pt 0pt;width:45.42%;">
  <p style="margin:0pt 0pt .0001pt;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">&nbsp;</font></p>
  </td>
  <td width="2%" valign="top" style="border:none;padding:0pt .7pt 0pt 0pt;width:2.38%;">
  <p style="margin:0pt 0pt .0001pt;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">&nbsp;</font></p>
  </td>
  <td width="52%" valign="top" style="border:none;padding:0pt .7pt 0pt 0pt;width:52.2%;">
  <p style="margin:0pt 0pt .0001pt;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">&nbsp;</font></p>
  </td>
 </tr>
 <tr style="page-break-inside:avoid;">
  <td width="45%" valign="top" style="border:none;padding:0pt .7pt 0pt 0pt;width:45.42%;">
  <p style="margin:0pt 0pt .0001pt;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">&nbsp;</font></p>
  </td>
  <td width="2%" valign="top" style="border:none;padding:0pt .7pt 0pt 0pt;width:2.38%;">
  <p style="margin:0pt 0pt .0001pt;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">&nbsp;</font></p>
  </td>
  <td width="52%" valign="top" style="border:none;padding:0pt .7pt 0pt 0pt;width:52.2%;">
  <p style="margin:0pt 0pt .0001pt;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">&nbsp;</font></p>
  </td>
 </tr>
 <tr style="page-break-inside:avoid;">
  <td width="45%" valign="top" style="border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.0pt;padding:0pt .7pt 0pt 0pt;width:45.42%;">
  <p style="margin:0pt 0pt .0001pt;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">/s/Douglas M. Baker, Jr. </font></p>
  </td>
  <td width="2%" valign="top" style="border:none;padding:0pt .7pt 0pt 0pt;width:2.38%;">
  <p style="margin:0pt 0pt .0001pt;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:1.0pt;">&nbsp;</font></p>
  </td>
  <td width="52%" valign="top" style="border:none;padding:0pt .7pt 0pt 0pt;width:52.2%;">
  <p style="margin:0pt 0pt .0001pt;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">Chairman of the Board,
  President and </font></p>
  </td>
 </tr>
 <tr style="page-break-inside:avoid;">
  <td width="45%" valign="top" style="border:none;padding:0pt .7pt 0pt 0pt;width:45.42%;">
  <p style="margin:0pt 0pt .0001pt;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">Douglas M. Baker, Jr.</font></p>
  </td>
  <td width="2%" valign="top" style="border:none;padding:0pt .7pt 0pt 0pt;width:2.38%;">
  <p style="margin:0pt 0pt .0001pt;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:1.0pt;">&nbsp;</font></p>
  </td>
  <td width="52%" valign="top" style="border:none;padding:0pt .7pt 0pt 0pt;width:52.2%;">
  <p style="margin:0pt 0pt .0001pt;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">Chief Executive Officer
  (principal executive officer)</font></p>
  </td>
 </tr>
 <tr style="page-break-inside:avoid;">
  <td width="45%" valign="top" style="border:none;padding:0pt .7pt 0pt 0pt;width:45.42%;">
  <p style="margin:0pt 0pt .0001pt;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:1.0pt;">&nbsp;</font></p>
  </td>
  <td width="2%" valign="top" style="border:none;padding:0pt .7pt 0pt 0pt;width:2.38%;">
  <p style="margin:0pt 0pt .0001pt;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:1.0pt;">&nbsp;</font></p>
  </td>
  <td width="52%" valign="top" style="border:none;padding:0pt .7pt 0pt 0pt;width:52.2%;">
  <p style="margin:0pt 0pt .0001pt;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">and Director</font></p>
  </td>
 </tr>
 <tr style="page-break-inside:avoid;">
  <td width="45%" valign="top" style="border:none;padding:0pt .7pt 0pt 0pt;width:45.42%;">
  <p style="margin:0pt 0pt .0001pt;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">&nbsp;</font></p>
  </td>
  <td width="2%" valign="top" style="border:none;padding:0pt .7pt 0pt 0pt;width:2.38%;">
  <p style="margin:0pt 0pt .0001pt;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">&nbsp;</font></p>
  </td>
  <td width="52%" valign="top" style="border:none;padding:0pt .7pt 0pt 0pt;width:52.2%;">
  <p style="margin:0pt 0pt .0001pt;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">&nbsp;</font></p>
  </td>
 </tr>
 <tr style="page-break-inside:avoid;">
  <td width="45%" valign="top" style="border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.0pt;padding:0pt .7pt 0pt 0pt;width:45.42%;">
  <p style="margin:0pt 0pt .0001pt;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">/s/Steven L. Fritze </font></p>
  </td>
  <td width="2%" valign="top" style="border:none;padding:0pt .7pt 0pt 0pt;width:2.38%;">
  <p style="margin:0pt 0pt .0001pt;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:1.0pt;">&nbsp;</font></p>
  </td>
  <td width="52%" valign="top" style="border:none;padding:0pt .7pt 0pt 0pt;width:52.2%;">
  <p style="margin:0pt 0pt .0001pt;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">Executive Vice President and
  Chief Financial</font></p>
  </td>
 </tr>
 <tr style="page-break-inside:avoid;">
  <td width="45%" valign="top" style="border:none;padding:0pt .7pt 0pt 0pt;width:45.42%;">
  <p style="margin:0pt 0pt .0001pt;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">Steven L. Fritze</font></p>
  </td>
  <td width="2%" valign="top" style="border:none;padding:0pt .7pt 0pt 0pt;width:2.38%;">
  <p style="margin:0pt 0pt .0001pt;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:1.0pt;">&nbsp;</font></p>
  </td>
  <td width="52%" valign="top" style="border:none;padding:0pt .7pt 0pt 0pt;width:52.2%;">
  <p style="margin:0pt 0pt .0001pt;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">Officer (principal financial
  officer)</font></p>
  </td>
 </tr>
 <tr style="page-break-inside:avoid;">
  <td width="45%" valign="top" style="border:none;padding:0pt .7pt 0pt 0pt;width:45.42%;">
  <p style="margin:0pt 0pt .0001pt;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">&nbsp;</font></p>
  </td>
  <td width="2%" valign="top" style="border:none;padding:0pt .7pt 0pt 0pt;width:2.38%;">
  <p style="margin:0pt 0pt .0001pt;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">&nbsp;</font></p>
  </td>
  <td width="52%" valign="top" style="border:none;padding:0pt .7pt 0pt 0pt;width:52.2%;">
  <p style="margin:0pt 0pt .0001pt;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">&nbsp;</font></p>
  </td>
 </tr>
 <tr style="page-break-inside:avoid;">
  <td width="45%" valign="top" style="border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.0pt;padding:0pt .7pt 0pt 0pt;width:45.42%;">
  <p style="margin:0pt 0pt .0001pt;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">/Daniel J. Schmechel </font></p>
  </td>
  <td width="2%" valign="top" style="border:none;padding:0pt .7pt 0pt 0pt;width:2.38%;">
  <p style="margin:0pt 0pt .0001pt;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:1.0pt;">&nbsp;</font></p>
  </td>
  <td width="52%" valign="top" style="border:none;padding:0pt .7pt 0pt 0pt;width:52.2%;">
  <p style="margin:0pt 0pt .0001pt;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">Senior Vice President and
  Controller (principal </font></p>
  </td>
 </tr>
 <tr style="page-break-inside:avoid;">
  <td width="45%" valign="top" style="border:none;padding:0pt .7pt 0pt 0pt;width:45.42%;">
  <p style="margin:0pt 0pt .0001pt;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">Daniel J. Schmechel</font></p>
  </td>
  <td width="2%" valign="top" style="border:none;padding:0pt .7pt 0pt 0pt;width:2.38%;">
  <p style="margin:0pt 0pt .0001pt;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:1.0pt;">&nbsp;</font></p>
  </td>
  <td width="52%" valign="top" style="border:none;padding:0pt .7pt 0pt 0pt;width:52.2%;">
  <p style="margin:0pt 0pt .0001pt;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">accounting officer)</font></p>
  </td>
 </tr>
 <tr style="page-break-inside:avoid;">
  <td width="45%" valign="top" style="border:none;padding:0pt .7pt 0pt 0pt;width:45.42%;">
  <p style="margin:0pt 0pt .0001pt;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">&nbsp;</font></p>
  </td>
  <td width="2%" valign="top" style="border:none;padding:0pt .7pt 0pt 0pt;width:2.38%;">
  <p style="margin:0pt 0pt .0001pt;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">&nbsp;</font></p>
  </td>
  <td width="52%" valign="top" style="border:none;padding:0pt .7pt 0pt 0pt;width:52.2%;">
  <p style="margin:0pt 0pt .0001pt;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">&nbsp;</font></p>
  </td>
 </tr>
 <tr style="page-break-inside:avoid;">
  <td width="45%" valign="top" style="border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.0pt;padding:0pt .7pt 0pt 0pt;width:45.42%;">
  <p style="margin:0pt 0pt .0001pt;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">/s/Sarah Z. Erickson </font></p>
  </td>
  <td width="2%" valign="top" style="border:none;padding:0pt .7pt 0pt 0pt;width:2.38%;">
  <p style="margin:0pt 0pt .0001pt;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:1.0pt;">&nbsp;</font></p>
  </td>
  <td width="52%" valign="top" style="border:none;padding:0pt .7pt 0pt 0pt;width:52.2%;">
  <p style="margin:0pt 0pt .0001pt;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">Directors</font></p>
  </td>
 </tr>
 <tr style="page-break-inside:avoid;">
  <td width="45%" valign="top" style="border:none;padding:0pt .7pt 0pt 0pt;width:45.42%;">
  <p style="margin:0pt 0pt .0001pt;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">Sarah Z. Erickson, as attorney-in-fact
  for Les S. Biller, Richard U. De Schutter, Jerry A. Grundhofer, Stefan
  Hamelmann, Joel W. Johnson, Jerry W. Levin, Robert L. Lumpkins, Beth M.
  Pritchard, Kasper Rorsted and John J. Zillmer.</font></p>
  </td>
  <td width="2%" valign="top" style="border:none;padding:0pt .7pt 0pt 0pt;width:2.38%;">
  <p style="margin:0pt 0pt .0001pt;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:1.0pt;">&nbsp;</font></p>
  </td>
  <td width="52%" valign="top" style="border:none;padding:0pt .7pt 0pt 0pt;width:52.2%;">
  <p style="margin:0pt 0pt .0001pt;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:1.0pt;">&nbsp;</font></p>
  </td>
 </tr>
 <tr style="page-break-inside:avoid;">
  <td width="45%" valign="top" style="border:none;padding:0pt .7pt 0pt 0pt;width:45.42%;">
  <p style="margin:0pt 0pt .0001pt;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">&nbsp;</font></p>
  </td>
  <td width="2%" valign="top" style="border:none;padding:0pt .7pt 0pt 0pt;width:2.38%;">
  <p style="margin:0pt 0pt .0001pt;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">&nbsp;</font></p>
  </td>
  <td width="52%" valign="top" style="border:none;padding:0pt .7pt 0pt 0pt;width:52.2%;">
  <p style="margin:0pt 0pt .0001pt;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">&nbsp;</font></p>
  </td>
 </tr>
 <tr style="page-break-inside:avoid;">
  <td width="45%" valign="top" style="border:none;padding:0pt .7pt 0pt 0pt;width:45.42%;">
  <p style="margin:0pt 0pt .0001pt;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">Director not signing: Hans Van
  Bylen</font></p>
  </td>
  <td width="2%" valign="top" style="border:none;padding:0pt .7pt 0pt 0pt;width:2.38%;">
  <p style="margin:0pt 0pt .0001pt;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:1.0pt;">&nbsp;</font></p>
  </td>
  <td width="52%" valign="top" style="border:none;padding:0pt .7pt 0pt 0pt;width:52.2%;">
  <p style="margin:0pt 0pt .0001pt;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:1.0pt;">&nbsp;</font></p>
  </td>
 </tr>
</table>

<p style="line-height:1.0pt;margin:0pt 0pt 12.0pt;"><font size="1" face="Times New Roman">&nbsp;</font></p>

<p style="font-weight:bold;margin:0pt 0pt .0001pt;text-align:center;text-transform:uppercase;"><b><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">&nbsp;</font></b></p>


 <p style="margin:24.0pt 0pt .0001pt;text-align:center;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:11.0pt;">6</font></p>
</div><br><hr size="3" width="100%" noshade color="#010101" align="center">

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<br clear="all" style="page-break-before:always;">
<div style="font-family:Times New Roman;">

<p style="font-weight:bold;margin:0pt 0pt .0001pt;text-align:center;text-transform:uppercase;"><b><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;text-transform:none;">ECOLAB INC.</font></b></p>

<p style="font-weight:bold;margin:0pt 0pt 12.0pt;text-align:center;text-transform:uppercase;"><b><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;text-transform:none;">REGISTRATION
STATEMENT ON FORM S-8</font></b></p>

<p style="font-weight:bold;margin:0pt 0pt 12.0pt;text-align:center;text-transform:uppercase;"><b><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;text-transform:none;">INDEX TO EXHIBITS</font></b></p>

<table border="1" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" width="100%" style="border:none;border-collapse:collapse;width:100.0%;">
 <tr style="page-break-inside:avoid;">
  <td width="16%" valign="bottom" style="border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.0pt;padding:0pt .7pt 0pt 0pt;width:16.92%;">
  <p align="left" style="font-size:8.0pt;font-weight:bold;line-height:8.0pt;margin:0pt 0pt .0001pt;text-align:left;"><!-- SET mrlNoTableShading -->Exhibit No.</p>
  </td>
  <td width="2%" valign="bottom" style="border:none;padding:0pt .7pt 0pt 0pt;width:2.38%;">
  <p style="font-weight:bold;line-height:8.0pt;margin:0pt 0pt .0001pt;text-align:center;"><b><font size="1" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:1.0pt;">&nbsp;</font></b></p>
  </td>
  <td width="53%" valign="bottom" style="border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.0pt;padding:0pt .7pt 0pt 0pt;width:53.78%;">
  <p style="font-weight:bold;line-height:8.0pt;margin:0pt 0pt .0001pt;text-align:center;"><b><font size="1" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:8.0pt;">Item</font></b></p>
  </td>
  <td width="2%" valign="bottom" style="border:none;padding:0pt .7pt 0pt 0pt;width:2.38%;">
  <p style="font-weight:bold;line-height:8.0pt;margin:0pt 0pt .0001pt;text-align:center;"><b><font size="1" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:1.0pt;">&nbsp;</font></b></p>
  </td>
  <td width="24%" valign="bottom" style="border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.0pt;padding:0pt .7pt 0pt 0pt;width:24.56%;">
  <p style="font-weight:bold;line-height:8.0pt;margin:0pt 0pt .0001pt;text-align:center;"><b><font size="1" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:8.0pt;">Method of Filing</font></b></p>
  </td>
 </tr>
 <tr style="page-break-inside:avoid;">
  <td width="16%" valign="bottom" style="border:none;padding:0pt .7pt 0pt 0pt;width:16.92%;">
  <p align="left" style="font-weight:bold;line-height:8.0pt;margin:0pt 0pt .0001pt;text-align:left;"><b><font size="1" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:8.0pt;">&nbsp;</font></b></p>
  </td>
  <td width="2%" valign="bottom" style="border:none;padding:0pt .7pt 0pt 0pt;width:2.38%;">
  <p style="font-weight:bold;line-height:8.0pt;margin:0pt 0pt .0001pt;text-align:center;"><b><font size="1" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:8.0pt;">&nbsp;</font></b></p>
  </td>
  <td width="53%" valign="bottom" style="border:none;padding:0pt .7pt 0pt 0pt;width:53.78%;">
  <p style="font-weight:bold;line-height:8.0pt;margin:0pt 0pt .0001pt;text-align:center;"><b><font size="1" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:8.0pt;">&nbsp;</font></b></p>
  </td>
  <td width="2%" valign="bottom" style="border:none;padding:0pt .7pt 0pt 0pt;width:2.38%;">
  <p style="font-weight:bold;line-height:8.0pt;margin:0pt 0pt .0001pt;text-align:center;"><b><font size="1" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:8.0pt;">&nbsp;</font></b></p>
  </td>
  <td width="24%" valign="bottom" style="border:none;padding:0pt .7pt 0pt 0pt;width:24.56%;">
  <p style="font-weight:bold;line-height:8.0pt;margin:0pt 0pt .0001pt;text-align:center;"><b><font size="1" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:8.0pt;">&nbsp;</font></b></p>
  </td>
 </tr>
 <tr style="page-break-inside:avoid;">
  <td width="16%" valign="top" style="border:none;padding:0pt .7pt 0pt 0pt;width:16.92%;">
  <p style="margin:0pt 0pt .0001pt;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">5.1</font></p>
  </td>
  <td width="2%" valign="top" style="border:none;padding:0pt .7pt 0pt 0pt;width:2.38%;">
  <p style="margin:0pt 0pt .0001pt;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:1.0pt;">&nbsp;</font></p>
  </td>
  <td width="53%" valign="top" style="border:none;padding:0pt .7pt 0pt 0pt;width:53.78%;">
  <p style="margin:0pt 0pt .0001pt;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">Opinion and Consent of Sarah Z. Erickson</font></p>
  </td>
  <td width="2%" valign="top" style="border:none;padding:0pt .7pt 0pt 0pt;width:2.38%;">
  <p style="margin:0pt 0pt .0001pt;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:1.0pt;">&nbsp;</font></p>
  </td>
  <td width="24%" valign="top" style="border:none;padding:0pt .7pt 0pt 0pt;width:24.56%;">
  <p style="margin:0pt 0pt .0001pt;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">Filed herewith electronically.</font></p>
  </td>
 </tr>
 <tr style="page-break-inside:avoid;">
  <td width="16%" valign="top" style="border:none;padding:0pt .7pt 0pt 0pt;width:16.92%;">
  <p style="margin:0pt 0pt .0001pt;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">&nbsp;</font></p>
  </td>
  <td width="2%" valign="top" style="border:none;padding:0pt .7pt 0pt 0pt;width:2.38%;">
  <p style="margin:0pt 0pt .0001pt;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">&nbsp;</font></p>
  </td>
  <td width="53%" valign="top" style="border:none;padding:0pt .7pt 0pt 0pt;width:53.78%;">
  <p style="margin:0pt 0pt .0001pt;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">&nbsp;</font></p>
  </td>
  <td width="2%" valign="top" style="border:none;padding:0pt .7pt 0pt 0pt;width:2.38%;">
  <p style="margin:0pt 0pt .0001pt;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">&nbsp;</font></p>
  </td>
  <td width="24%" valign="top" style="border:none;padding:0pt .7pt 0pt 0pt;width:24.56%;">
  <p style="margin:0pt 0pt .0001pt;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">&nbsp;</font></p>
  </td>
 </tr>
 <tr style="page-break-inside:avoid;">
  <td width="16%" valign="top" style="border:none;padding:0pt .7pt 0pt 0pt;width:16.92%;">
  <p style="margin:0pt 0pt .0001pt;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">23.1</font></p>
  </td>
  <td width="2%" valign="top" style="border:none;padding:0pt .7pt 0pt 0pt;width:2.38%;">
  <p style="margin:0pt 0pt .0001pt;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:1.0pt;">&nbsp;</font></p>
  </td>
  <td width="53%" valign="top" style="border:none;padding:0pt .7pt 0pt 0pt;width:53.78%;">
  <p style="margin:0pt 0pt .0001pt;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">Consent of Independent Registered Public Accounting
  Firm</font></p>
  </td>
  <td width="2%" valign="top" style="border:none;padding:0pt .7pt 0pt 0pt;width:2.38%;">
  <p style="margin:0pt 0pt .0001pt;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:1.0pt;">&nbsp;</font></p>
  </td>
  <td width="24%" valign="top" style="border:none;padding:0pt .7pt 0pt 0pt;width:24.56%;">
  <p style="margin:0pt 0pt .0001pt;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">Filed herewith electronically.</font></p>
  </td>
 </tr>
 <tr style="page-break-inside:avoid;">
  <td width="16%" valign="top" style="border:none;padding:0pt .7pt 0pt 0pt;width:16.92%;">
  <p style="margin:0pt 0pt .0001pt;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">&nbsp;</font></p>
  </td>
  <td width="2%" valign="top" style="border:none;padding:0pt .7pt 0pt 0pt;width:2.38%;">
  <p style="margin:0pt 0pt .0001pt;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">&nbsp;</font></p>
  </td>
  <td width="53%" valign="top" style="border:none;padding:0pt .7pt 0pt 0pt;width:53.78%;">
  <p style="margin:0pt 0pt .0001pt;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">&nbsp;</font></p>
  </td>
  <td width="2%" valign="top" style="border:none;padding:0pt .7pt 0pt 0pt;width:2.38%;">
  <p style="margin:0pt 0pt .0001pt;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">&nbsp;</font></p>
  </td>
  <td width="24%" valign="top" style="border:none;padding:0pt .7pt 0pt 0pt;width:24.56%;">
  <p style="margin:0pt 0pt .0001pt;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">&nbsp;</font></p>
  </td>
 </tr>
 <tr style="page-break-inside:avoid;">
  <td width="16%" valign="top" style="border:none;padding:0pt .7pt 0pt 0pt;width:16.92%;">
  <p style="margin:0pt 0pt .0001pt;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">23.2</font></p>
  </td>
  <td width="2%" valign="top" style="border:none;padding:0pt .7pt 0pt 0pt;width:2.38%;">
  <p style="margin:0pt 0pt .0001pt;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:1.0pt;">&nbsp;</font></p>
  </td>
  <td width="53%" valign="top" style="border:none;padding:0pt .7pt 0pt 0pt;width:53.78%;">
  <p style="margin:0pt 0pt .0001pt;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">Consent of Sarah Z. Erickson</font></p>
  </td>
  <td width="2%" valign="top" style="border:none;padding:0pt .7pt 0pt 0pt;width:2.38%;">
  <p style="margin:0pt 0pt .0001pt;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:1.0pt;">&nbsp;</font></p>
  </td>
  <td width="24%" valign="top" style="border:none;padding:0pt .7pt 0pt 0pt;width:24.56%;">
  <p style="margin:0pt 0pt .0001pt;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">Included in Exhibit 5.1.</font></p>
  </td>
 </tr>
 <tr style="page-break-inside:avoid;">
  <td width="16%" valign="top" style="border:none;padding:0pt .7pt 0pt 0pt;width:16.92%;">
  <p style="margin:0pt 0pt .0001pt;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">&nbsp;</font></p>
  </td>
  <td width="2%" valign="top" style="border:none;padding:0pt .7pt 0pt 0pt;width:2.38%;">
  <p style="margin:0pt 0pt .0001pt;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">&nbsp;</font></p>
  </td>
  <td width="53%" valign="top" style="border:none;padding:0pt .7pt 0pt 0pt;width:53.78%;">
  <p style="margin:0pt 0pt .0001pt;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">&nbsp;</font></p>
  </td>
  <td width="2%" valign="top" style="border:none;padding:0pt .7pt 0pt 0pt;width:2.38%;">
  <p style="margin:0pt 0pt .0001pt;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">&nbsp;</font></p>
  </td>
  <td width="24%" valign="top" style="border:none;padding:0pt .7pt 0pt 0pt;width:24.56%;">
  <p style="margin:0pt 0pt .0001pt;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">&nbsp;</font></p>
  </td>
 </tr>
 <tr style="page-break-inside:avoid;">
  <td width="16%" valign="top" style="border:none;padding:0pt .7pt 0pt 0pt;width:16.92%;">
  <p style="margin:0pt 0pt .0001pt;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">24.1</font></p>
  </td>
  <td width="2%" valign="top" style="border:none;padding:0pt .7pt 0pt 0pt;width:2.38%;">
  <p style="margin:0pt 0pt .0001pt;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:1.0pt;">&nbsp;</font></p>
  </td>
  <td width="53%" valign="top" style="border:none;padding:0pt .7pt 0pt 0pt;width:53.78%;">
  <p style="margin:0pt 0pt .0001pt;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">Powers of Attorney</font></p>
  </td>
  <td width="2%" valign="top" style="border:none;padding:0pt .7pt 0pt 0pt;width:2.38%;">
  <p style="margin:0pt 0pt .0001pt;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:1.0pt;">&nbsp;</font></p>
  </td>
  <td width="24%" valign="top" style="border:none;padding:0pt .7pt 0pt 0pt;width:24.56%;">
  <p style="margin:0pt 0pt .0001pt;"><font size="2" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:10.0pt;">Filed herewith electronically.</font></p>
  </td>
 </tr>
</table>

<p style="line-height:1.0pt;margin:0pt 0pt 12.0pt;"><font size="1" face="Times New Roman">&nbsp;</font></p>

</div><br><hr size="3" width="100%" noshade color="#010101" align="center">

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{"company-data": {"conformed-name": "ECOLAB INC", "cik": "0000031462", "assigned-sic": "2840", "irs-number": "410231510", "state-of-incorporation": "DE", "fiscal-year-end": "1231"}, "filing-values": {"form-type": "S-8", "act": "33", "file-number": "333-140988", "film-number": "07662067"}, "business-address": {"street1": "ECOLAB CORPORATE CENTER", "street2": "370 WABASHA STREET NORTH", "city": "ST PAUL", "state": "MN", "zip": "55102", "phone": "6512932233"}, "mail-address": {"street1": "ECOLAB CORPORATE CENTER", "street2": "370 WABASHA STREET NORTH", "city": "ST. PAUL", "state": "MN", "zip": "55102"}, "former-company": {"former-conformed-name": "ECONOMICS LABORATORY INC", "date-changed": "19861203"}}
As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on March 1, 2007
Registration No. 333-
U.S.
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
WASHINGTON,
D.C. 20549
FORM S-8
REGISTRATION STATEMENT
UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933
ECOLAB
INC.
(Exact name of
registrant as specified in its charter)
Delaware
41-0231510
(State or Other Jurisdiction of
(I.R.S. Employer
Incorporation or
  Organization)
Identification
  No.)
370
  Wabasha Street North
St.
  Paul, Minnesota
55102
(Address of
  Principal Executive Offices)
(Zip Code)
ECOLAB
INC. 2002 STOCK INCENTIVE PLAN
(Full Title of the
Plan)
Lawrence
T. Bell, Esq.
Senior Vice President,
General Counsel and Secretary
Ecolab Inc.
370 Wabasha Street North
St. Paul, Minnesota 55102
(651) 293-2981
(Name, address and
telephone number,
including area code, of agent for service)
Approximate
date of commencement of proposed sale to the public:
Immediately upon the filing of this registration statement
CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE
Title of securities
to be registered
Amount to be
registered(1)
Proposed maximum
offering price per
unit(2)
Proposed maximum
aggregate offering
price(2)
Amount of
registration
fee(2)
Common stock, par value
  $1.00 per share(3)
1,100,000
$
43.825
$
48,207,500.00
$
1,479.97
(1)
In addition, pursuant to
Rule 416(a) under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, this Registration
Statement also covers an indeterminate number of additional shares of common
stock to be offered or sold as a result of the anti-dilution provisions of the
employee benefit plan described in this Registration Statement.
(2)
Estimated solely for the
purpose of calculating the registration fee in accordance with Rule 457(h)(1)
and (c) under the Securities Act, based upon the average of the high and low
sale prices of the registrant's common stock on February 26, 2007, as reported
on the Consolidated Transaction Reporting System of the New York Stock
Exchange.
(3)
Each share of common
stock includes a preferred stock purchase right issued pursuant to the terms of
the registrant's Rights Agreement dated as of February 24, 2006.
EXPLANATORY NOTE
(All share amounts stated in the
paragraph below have been adjusted for a 2 for 1 stock split on June 6, 2003.)
On May 27, 1999, a total of 12,000,000 shares of the
common stock (with preferred stock purchase rights) of Ecolab Inc. ("Ecolab")
were registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") by a
Registration Statement on Form S-8 (File No. 333-79449) in connection with the
Ecolab Inc. 1997 Stock Incentive Plan (the "1997 Plan").  On February 22, 2002, the Board of Directors
of Ecolab adopted the Ecolab Inc. 2002 Stock Incentive Plan (the "2002 Plan").  The Board reserved a maximum of 12,000,000
shares of common stock for issuance under the 2002 Plan, plus any shares of
common stock which, as of the May 10, 2002 effective date of the 2002 Plan,
were reserved for issuance under the 1997 Plan and are not thereafter issued
and would otherwise have been available under the 1997 Plan.  On August 9, 2002, a Registration Statement
on Form S-8 (File No. 333-97927) was filed by Ecolab to (a) register 12,000,000
"new" shares for the 2002 Plan and (b) register 2,200,000 shares that were
remaining and unissued under the 1997 Plan as of the effective date.
Subsequent to the effective date, an additional
1,405,378 shares of Ecolab common stock previously reserved for issuance under
the 1997 Plan became available for the 2002 Plan and on May 17, 2004, a
Registration Statement on Form S-8 (File No. 333-115568) was filed by Ecolab to
register such additional 1,405,378 shares.
Also, subsequent to the filing of the Registration
Statement on Form S-8 on May 17, 2004, an additional 271,698 shares of Ecolab
common stock previously reserved for issuance under the 1997 Plan became
available for the 2002 Plan and on November 3, 2005, a Registration Statement
on Form S-8 (File No. 333-129428) was filed by Ecolab to register such
additional 271,698 shares.
This Registration Statement is being filed solely for
the purpose of registering 1,100,000 additional shares of common stock of
Ecolab for issuance pursuant to the 2002 Plan. 
The securities subject to this Registration Statement are of the same
class of securities for which Ecolab previously filed Registration Statements
on Form S-8.  The 1,100,000 additional
shares became available for issuance pursuant to the terms of the 2002 Plan,
which provides shares of common stock that are repurchased by Ecolab on the
open market or in private transactions may be added to the aggregate number of
shares available for issuance under the 2002 Plan, so long as the aggregate
price paid for such repurchased shares does not exceed the cumulative amount
received in cash upon the exercise of options or incentive awards under the
2002 Plan.
After giving effect to this Registration Statement, an
aggregate of 16,977,076 shares of Ecolab's common stock have been registered
for issuance pursuant to the 2002 Plan. 
Additional shares may become available in the future, and may also be
registered for issuance under the 2002 Plan pursuant to subsequent Registration
Statements.
PART I
INFORMATION REQUIRED
IN THE SECTION 10(a) PROSPECTUS
The documents containing the information specified in
Part I of Form S-8 have been or will be sent or given to participants as
specified by Rule 428(b)(1) under the Securities Act of 1933 (the "Securities
Act").
1
PART II
INFORMATION
REQUIRED
IN THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT
Item 3.
Incorporation of
Documents by Reference.
Incorporation by Reference
The following documents filed by Ecolab (File No.
1-9328) with the SEC are incorporated by reference in this Registration
Statement:
(1)
Annual
report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2006;
(2)
All
other reports filed by Ecolab pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the "Exchange Act"), since December
31, 2006; and
(3)
The
descriptions of Ecolab's common stock, preferred stock and preferred stock
purchase rights contained in its registration statements on Form 8-A, including
any amendments or reports filed for the purpose of updating these descriptions.
All documents filed by Ecolab with the SEC pursuant to
Sections 13(a), 13(c), 14 and 15(d) of the Exchange Act after the date of this
Registration Statement and prior to the filing of a post-effective amendment
which indicates that all securities offered pursuant to this Registration
Statement have been sold or that deregisters all securities then remaining
unsold, will be deemed to be incorporated by reference in this Registration
Statement and to be a part of this Registration Statement from the date of
filing of these documents.
Experts
The financial statements and
management's assessment of the effectiveness of internal control over financial
reporting (which is included in Management's Report on Internal Control over
Financial Reporting) incorporated in this Registration Statement by reference
to the Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2006 have
been so incorporated in reliance on the reports of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP,
an independent registered public accounting firm, given on the authority of
said firm as experts in auditing and accounting.
Item 4.
Description of
Securities.
Not applicable. 
Ecolab's common stock and preferred stock purchase rights to be offered
and sold pursuant to this registration statement are registered under Section
12 of the Exchange Act.
Item 5.
Interests
of Named Experts and Counsel.
The validity of the securities has been passed upon by
Sarah Z. Erickson, Associate General Counsel – Corporate and Assistant
Secretary for Ecolab.  Ms. Erickson
beneficially owns shares of Ecolab common stock and has options to purchase
Ecolab common stock under Ecolab stock incentive plans.
2
Item 6.
Indemnification of
Directors and Officers.
Subsection (a) of Section 145 of the General
Corporation Law of Delaware empowers a corporation to indemnify any person who
was or is a party or is threatened to be made a party to any threatened,
pending or completed action, suit or proceeding, whether civil, criminal,
administrative or investigative (other than an action by or in the right of the
corporation), by reason of the fact that such person is or was a director,
officer, employee or agent of the corporation or is or was serving at the
request of the corporation as a director, officer, employee or agent of another
corporation or enterprise, against expenses (including attorneys' fees),
judgments, fines and amounts paid in settlement actually and reasonably
incurred by such person in connection with such action, suit or proceeding if
such person acted in good faith and in a manner such person reasonably believed
to be in or not opposed to the best interests of the corporation, and with
respect to any criminal action or proceeding, had no reasonable cause to
believe such person's conduct was unlawful.
Subsection (b) of Section 145 empowers a corporation
to indemnify any person who was or is a party or threatened to be made a party
to any threatened, pending or completed action or suit by or in the right of
the corporation to procure a judgment in its favor by reason of the fact that
such person acted in any of the capacities set forth above, against expenses
actually and reasonably incurred by such person in connection with the defense
or settlement of such action or suit if such person acted under similar
standards, except that no indemnification may be made in respect of any claim,
issue or matter as to which such person shall have been adjudged to be liable
to the corporation unless and only to the extent that the Court of Chancery or
the court in which the action or suit was brought shall determine that, despite
the adjudication of liability, the person is fairly and reasonably entitled to
indemnity for the expenses which the court shall deem proper.
Section 145 further provides that, to the extent a
director or officer of a corporation has been successful in the defense of any
action, suit or proceeding referred to in subsections (a) and (b) or in the
defense of any claim, issue or matter therein, the person shall be indemnified
against expenses (including attorneys' fees) actually and reasonably incurred
in connection therewith; that indemnification provided for by Section 145 shall
not be deemed exclusive of any other rights to which the indemnified party may
be entitled; and that the scope of indemnification extends to directors,
officers, employees or agents of a constituent corporation absorbed in a
consolidation or merger and persons serving in that capacity at the request of
the constituent corporation for another. 
Section 145 also empowers the corporation to purchase and maintain
insurance on behalf of a director or officer of the corporation against any
liability asserted against or incurred by the person in any such capacity or
arising out of the person's status as such, whether or not the corporation
would have the power to indemnify the person against such liabilities under
Section 145, including liabilities under the Securities Act.
Article V of Ecolab's By-Laws provides for
indemnification of Ecolab's officers and directors to the full extent allowed
by Delaware law.
In addition, Article IV of Ecolab's Restated
Certificate of Incorporation provides that Ecolab's directors do not have
personal liability to Ecolab or its stockholders for monetary damages for any
breach of their fiduciary duty as directors, except (1) for a breach of the
duty of loyalty, (2) for acts or omissions not in good faith or which involve
intentional misconduct or knowing violation of the law, (3) for willful or
negligent violations of certain provisions under the General Corporation Law of
Delaware imposing certain requirements with respect to stock repurchases,
redemptions and dividends, or (4) for any transaction from which the director
derived an improper personal benefit. 
Subject to these exceptions, under Article IV, directors do not have any
personal liability to Ecolab or its stockholders for any violation of their
fiduciary duty.
3
Ecolab has directors and officers liability insurance
which protects each director or officer from certain claims and suits,
including stockholder derivative suits, even where the director may be
determined to not be entitled to indemnification under the General Corporation
Law of Delaware and claims and suits arising under the Securities Act.  The policy may also afford coverage under
circumstances where the facts do not justify a finding that the director or
officer acted in good faith and in a manner that was in or not opposed to the
best interests of Ecolab.
Ecolab has entered into indemnification agreements
with each of its directors.  These
indemnification agreements provide for the prompt indemnification "to the
fullest extent permitted by law" and for the prompt advancement of expenses,
including attorneys' fees and other costs, expenses and obligations paid or
incurred in connection with investigating, defending, being a witness or
participating in (including on appeal) any threatened, pending or completed
action, suit or proceeding related to the fact that the director is or was a
director, officer, employee, trustee, agent or fiduciary of Ecolab or is or was
serving at the request of Ecolab as a director, officer, employee, trustee,
agent or fiduciary of another corporation, partnership, joint venture, employee
benefit plan trust or other enterprise, or by reason of anything done or not
done by a director in any such capacity. 
The indemnification agreements further provide that Ecolab has the
burden of proving that a director is not entitled to indemnification in any
particular case.
The foregoing represents a summary of the general
effect of the General Corporation Law of Delaware, Ecolab's By-Laws and
Restated Certificate of Incorporation, Ecolab's directors and officers
liability insurance coverage and the indemnification agreements for purposes of
general description only.
Item 7.
Exemptions from Registration
Claimed.
Not applicable.  No securities are to be re-offered or resold
pursuant to this registration statement.
Item 8.
Exhibits.
The following is a complete list of exhibits filed or
incorporated by reference as part of this registration statement:
Exhibit No.
Description
5.1
Opinion and Consent of Sarah Z. Erickson (filed
  herewith electronically).
23.1
Consent of Independent Registered Public Accounting
  Firm (filed herewith electronically).
23.2
Consent of Sarah Z. Erickson (included in Exhibit
  5.1).
24.1
Powers of Attorney (filed herewith electronically).
Item 9.
Undertakings.
(a)
The undersigned
registrant hereby undertakes:
(1)
To
file, during any period in which offers or sales are being made, a
post-effective amendment to this registration statement:
(i)
To
include any prospectus required by Section 10(a)(3) of the Securities Act;
4
(ii)
To
reflect in the prospectus any facts or events arising after the effective date
of this registration statement (or the most recent post-effective amendment
hereof) which, individually or in the aggregate, represent a fundamental change
in the information set forth in this registration statement.  Notwithstanding the foregoing, any increase
or decrease in volume of securities offered (if the total dollar value of
securities offered would not exceed that which was registered) and any
deviation from the low or high end of the estimated maximum offering range may
be reflected in the form of prospectus filed with the SEC pursuant to Rule
424(b) under the Securities Act if, in the aggregate, the changes in volume and
price represent no more than a 20% change in the maximum aggregate offering
price set forth in the "Calculation of Registration Fee" table in the effective
Registration Statement;
(iii)
To include any material
information with respect to the plan of distribution not previously disclosed
in this Registration Statement or any material change to such information in
this Registration Statement.
Provided
,
however
, that
paragraphs (a)(1)(i) and (a)(1)(ii) above do not apply if the information
required to be included in a post-effective amendment by those paragraphs is
contained in periodic reports filed with or furnished to the SEC by the
registrant pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Exchange Act that are
incorporated by reference in this Registration Statement.
(2)
That,
for the purpose of determining any liability under the Securities Act, each
such post-effective amendment shall be deemed to be a new Registration
Statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of such
securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering
thereof.
(3)
To
remove from registration by means of a post-effective amendment any of the
securities being registered which remain unsold at the termination of the
offering.
(b)
The
undersigned registrant hereby undertakes that, for purposes of determining any
liability under the Securities Act, each filing of the registrant's annual
report pursuant to Section 13(a) or Section 15(d) of the Exchange Act (and
where applicable, each filing of an employee benefit plan's annual report
pursuant to Section 15(d) of the Exchange Act) that is incorporated by
reference in this Registration Statement shall be deemed to be a new
Registration Statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the
offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona
fide offering thereof.
(c)
Insofar
as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act may be
permitted to directors, officers and controlling persons of the registrant
pursuant to the foregoing provisions, or otherwise, the registrant has been
advised that in the opinion of the SEC such indemnification is against public
policy as expressed in the Securities Act, and is therefore,
unenforceable.  In the event that a claim
for indemnification against such liabilities (other than the payment by the
registrant of expenses incurred or paid by a director, officer or controlling
person of the registrant in the successful defense of any action, suit or
proceeding) is asserted by such director, officer or controlling person in
connection with the securities being registered, the registrant will, unless in
the opinion of its counsel the matter has been settled by controlling
precedent, submit to a court of appropriate jurisdiction the question whether
such indemnification by it is against public policy as expressed in the
Securities Act and will be governed by the final adjudication of such issue.
5
SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the
requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, the registrant certifies that it
has reasonable grounds to believe that it meets all of the requirements of
filing on Form S-8 and has duly caused this registration statement to be signed
on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, in the City of St.
Paul, State of Minnesota, on March 1, 2007.
ECOLAB INC.
By:
/s/Douglas M.
  Baker, Jr.
Chairman
  of the Board, President and
Chief
  Executive Officer
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, this
registration statement has been signed on March 1
, 2007 by the following persons in the capacities
indicated.
Signature
Title
/s/Douglas M. Baker, Jr.
Chairman of the Board,
  President and
Douglas M. Baker, Jr.
Chief Executive Officer
  (principal executive officer)
and Director
/s/Steven L. Fritze
Executive Vice President and
  Chief Financial
Steven L. Fritze
Officer (principal financial
  officer)
/Daniel J. Schmechel
Senior Vice President and
  Controller (principal
Daniel J. Schmechel
accounting officer)
/s/Sarah Z. Erickson
Directors
Sarah Z. Erickson, as attorney-in-fact
  for Les S. Biller, Richard U. De Schutter, Jerry A. Grundhofer, Stefan
  Hamelmann, Joel W. Johnson, Jerry W. Levin, Robert L. Lumpkins, Beth M.
  Pritchard, Kasper Rorsted and John J. Zillmer.
Director not signing: Hans Van
  Bylen
6
ECOLAB INC.
REGISTRATION
STATEMENT ON FORM S-8
INDEX TO EXHIBITS
Exhibit No.
Item
Method of Filing
5.1
Opinion and Consent of Sarah Z. Erickson
Filed herewith electronically.
23.1
Consent of Independent Registered Public Accounting
  Firm
Filed herewith electronically.
23.2
Consent of Sarah Z. Erickson
Included in Exhibit 5.1.
24.1
Powers of Attorney
Filed herewith electronically.