Rentech Announces Settlement of Securities Class Action and Shareholder Derivative Lawsuits

Rentech, Inc. (NYSE AMEX: RTK) announced today that it has reached agreements to settle all of the class action lawsuits pending in federal court and all of the shareholder derivative lawsuits pending in state and federal court against the Company and a number of its current and former directors and officers. The lawsuits relate to the Company’s restatement in December 2009 of certain of its financial statements for fiscal year 2008 and the first three quarters of fiscal year 2009. The Company believes that it is in the best interests of its stockholders to settle the matters at a reasonable cost to avoid potentially protracted and expensive litigation. The Company and the individual defendants have denied any liability or wrongdoing in connection with the allegations contained in these lawsuits.

The settlement for the consolidated class action lawsuits pending in United States District Court for the Central District of California (In re Rentech Securities Litigation, Lead Case No. 2:09-cv-09495-GHK-PJW) provides for a settlement fund of $1.8 million, from which plaintiffs’ counsel will seek an award of attorneys fees and expenses. The settlements for the consolidated shareholder derivative lawsuits pending in United States District Court for the Central District of California (In re Rentech Derivative Litigation, Lead Case No. 2:10-cv-0485-GHK-PJW) and the Superior Court of the State of California for the County of Los Angeles (Andrew L. Tarr v. Dennis L. Yakobson, et al., LASC Master File No. BC430553) provide that the Company will adopt certain governance practices, and pay (or cause its insurance carrier to pay) plaintiffs’ attorneys fees and expenses of up to $300,000. The Company expects that over 90% of the aggregate securities class action and shareholder derivative settlement payments will be covered by its insurance carriers.

The settlements are subject to court approval and certain other conditions including notice to the Company’s stockholders.

About Rentech, Inc.

Rentech, Inc. (www.rentechinc.com), incorporated in 1981, provides clean energy solutions. The Company's Rentech-SilvaGas biomass gasification process can convert multiple biomass feedstocks into synthesis gas (syngas) for production of renewable fuels and power. Combining the gasification process with Rentech's unique application of syngas conditioning and clean-up technology and the patented Rentech Process based on Fischer-Tropsch chemistry, Rentech offers an integrated solution for production of synthetic fuels from biomass. The Rentech Process can also convert syngas from fossil resources into ultra-clean synthetic jet and diesel fuels, specialty waxes and chemicals. Final product upgrading and acid gas removal technologies are provided under an alliance with UOP, a Honeywell company. Rentech develops projects and licenses these technologies for application in synthetic fuels and power facilities worldwide. Rentech Energy Midwest Corporation, the Company's wholly-owned subsidiary, manufactures and sells nitrogen fertilizer products including ammonia, urea ammonia nitrate, urea granule, and urea solution in the corn-belt region of the central United States. Rentech has been recognized by Biofuels Digest as one of the “50 Hottest Companies in Bio-energy” and has been named as one of the “Biofuels Digest Companies of the Year” for its innovations and achievements, particularly in aviation biofuels.

Safe Harbor Statement

This press release contains forward-looking statements as defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 about matters such as the Company's settlement agreements which are contingent upon court approval. These statements are based on management's current expectations and actual results may differ materially as a result of various risks and uncertainties. Other factors that could cause actual results to differ from those reflected in the forward-looking statements are set forth in the Company's prior press releases and periodic public filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, which are available via Rentech's web site at www.rentechinc.com. The forward-looking statements in this press release are made as of the date of this press release and Rentech does not undertake to revise or update these forward-looking statements, except to the extent that it is required to do so under applicable law.