Bennett Environmental Inc. Update

OAKVILLE, ONTARIO--(Marketwire - March 2, 2012) - Bennett Environmental Inc. (TSX:BEV) (the "Company" or "BEI") today announced an update in its affairs.

The Company was recently notified that, as a result of certain documentary and procedural compliance deficiencies that occurred during the period prior to June 2011, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency ("EPA") intends to bring proceedings against it to bar it from accepting new U.S. federal government or related contracts for a period of five years. Any such order would not affect a bona fide purchaser of the Company's St. Ambroise facility.

The Company believes that such an order, which relates to conduct of prior management that has now been substantially or entirely rectified, would be inappropriate, and intends to vigorously contest the proceeding and/or seek to negotiate a more appropriate resolution with the EPA.

The amount of new U.S. government business currently expected to be received in the balance of 2012 is currently estimated not to exceed 3% of total revenues or net earnings. Accordingly, the Company believes that any such order would be unlikely to have a material adverse effect on its financial performance for the year 2012. The impact of such an order on the Company's financial performance beyond 2012 is not determinable at this time.

The issues raised in the notice are of an administrative compliance nature and do not relate to either any environmental concerns or any current criminal breaches. They result from the actions and behavior of prior management and flow from the same events which occasioned BEI to be subject to Department of Justice and EPA criminal and administrative enforcement proceedings in 2008.

In addition, the Company understands that its former CEO, John Bennett, was recently committed for extradition to the U.S. by a B.C. court to face U.S. criminal proceedings. Such decision remains subject to appeal by Mr. Bennett.

Forward Looking Statements

Certain statements contained in this press release and in certain documents incorporated by reference into this press release constitute forward-looking statements. The use of any of the words "anticipate", "continue", "estimate", "expect", "may", "will", "project", "should", "believe", "confident", "plan" and "intends" and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. These statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results or events to differ materially from those anticipated in such forward-looking statements. BEI believes that the expectations reflected in those forward-looking statements are reasonable but no assurance can be given that these expectations will prove to be correct and such forward-looking statements included in, or incorporated by reference into, this press release should not be unduly relied upon. These statements speak only as of the date of this press release. BEI undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

About Bennett Environmental Inc.

Bennett Environmental Inc. is a North American leader in high temperature treatment services for the treatment of contaminated soil and has provided thermal solutions to contamination problems throughout Canada and the U.S. Bennett Environmental's technology provides for the safe, economical and permanent solution to contaminated soil. Independent testing has consistently proven that the technology operates well within the most stringent criteria in North America. For information, please visit the Bennett Environmental website at: www.bennettenv.com.