AbTech Creates Technical Advisory Board; Appoints Seasoned Nuclear Power Plant Expert

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz., Aug. 16, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- AbTech Holdings, Inc. (OTCBB: ABHD) ("AbTech"), a developer and manufacturer of patented innovative environmental technologies addressing issues of water pollution and contamination, today announced the appointment of Michael D. Shea to its newly created Technical Advisory Board. The Technical Advisory Board will complement the Strategic Advisory that includes Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Congressman James Saxton and Governor Edward G. Rendell.  The Technical Advisory Board is intended to provide a high level of expertise to the company as it enters new market sectors.  Mr. Shea has over 30-years experience in the nuclear power generation industry in all facets of the business, including radiation protection, safety, outage management and maintenance.  Most notably, Mr. Shea has consistently delivered successful analysis and solutions of technical, business and performance requirements to a highly strategic and mission-critical facility; indentifying deficiencies and potential opportunities while developing strong and long lasting solutions to enhance regulatory results, operational excellence and cost effectiveness.

Mr. Shea currently serves as Director of Industrial Safety and Safety Culture for Palo Verde Nuclear Generating Station ("Palo Verde"), where he has worked since 1987.  Palo Verde, owned by a consortium of seven utilities in the Southwest, is the largest nuclear generation facility in the United States, capable of generating over 4 gigawatts of electrical power to serve approximately 4 million people in California, Arizona, New Mexico and Texas.  Located in the Arizona Desert, Palo Verde is the only nuclear energy facility in the world that is not located adjacent to a large body of above-ground water.  Instead the Plant uses reclaimed wastewater and de-mineralized and de-ionized well water from several area municipalities to meet its cooling water needs, recycling approximately 20 billion gallons of treated wastewater each year.  During his tenure at Palo Verde, Mr. Shea has served in several senior management capacities in which he created and implemented performance and safety standards, as well as establishing cost effective procedures while ensuring critically heightened adherence to regulatory guidelines.  Mr. Shea earned a Bachelor of Science degree in engineering technology and physics from University of the State of New York and an Executive MBA from Arizona State University.

Commenting on Mr. Shea's appointment, Glenn Rink, AbTech's president and CEO, said, "We are thrilled to have Michael join our new Technical Advisory Board with his deep technical experience and strong nuclear industry contacts, he should prove invaluable.   I believe he will dramatically accelerate our Smart Sponge penetration into this niche market as our current and future applications expand into this sector."

AbTech Investor Contact:
Yvonne L. Zappulla
Managing Director
Grannus Financial Advisors, Inc.
212-681-4108
[email protected]

Media Relations Contact:
Megan Esteves
Senior Account Manager/Deputy Team Leader 
Regan Communications Boston                                                                                       
(617) 488-2868
[email protected]

ABOUT ABTECH HOLDINGS, INC. (OTCBB: ABHD) AND ABTECH INDUSTRIES, INC.

AbTech Industries, Inc. (a subsidiary of AbTech Holdings Inc.) is a full-service environmental technologies and engineering firm dedicated to providing innovative solutions to communities, industry and governments addressing issues of water pollution and contamination. Its products are based on polymer technologies capable of removing hydrocarbons, sediment and other foreign elements in stormwater runoff (ponds, lakes and marinas), flowing water (curbside drains, pipe outflows, rivers and oceans), and industrial process and wastewater. AbTech's offerings include the ground-breaking new antimicrobial technology called Smart Sponge® Plus. This technology is effective in reducing coliform bacteria found in stormwater, industrial wastewater, and municipal wastewater. Smart Sponge® Plus is registered with the Environmental Protection Agency (Registration #86256-1). AbTech's teams of water treatment technology experts, civil and environmental engineers, and field operations specialists develop solutions to improve the quality of our limited water resources. AEWS Engineering (a subsidiary of AbTech Holdings, Inc.), is an independent engineering civil and environmental engineering firm partnered with top research and engineering universities. By focusing on bringing new engineering and technology innovation to the water infrastructure sector, AEWS is positioned to be at the forefront of stormwater Best Management Practices development and to deliver the latest in design excellence to its customers. For more information please visit www.abtechindustries.com. More information on AEWS Engineering can be found at www.aewsengineering.com.

This news release contains "forward-looking statements" which are not purely historical and include any statements regarding beliefs, plans, expectations or intentions regarding the future. Such forward-looking statements include, among other things, the development, costs and results of new business opportunities. Actual results could differ from those projected in any forward-looking statements due to numerous factors. Such factors include, among others, the inherent uncertainties associated with new projects. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date of this news release, and we assume no obligation to update the forward-looking statements, or to update the reasons why actual results could differ from those projected in the forward-looking statements. Although we believe that any beliefs, plans, expectations and intentions contained in this press release are reasonable, there can be no assurance that any such beliefs, plans, expectations or intentions will prove to be accurate. Investors should consult all of the information set forth herein and should also refer to the risk factors disclosure outlined in our annual report on Form 10-K for the most recent fiscal year, our quarterly reports on Form 10-Q and other periodic reports filed from time-to-time with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

SOURCE AbTech Holdings, Inc.