FORM 4 Check this box if no longer subject to Section 16. Form 4 or Form 5 obligations may continue. See Instruction 1(b).

UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION Washington, D.C. 20549 STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP OF SECURITIES Filed pursuant to Section 16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, Section 17(a) of the Public Utility Holding Company Act of 1935 or Section 30(h) of the Investment Company Act of 1940

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1. Name and Address of Reporting Person * BAKER DOUGLAS M JR   2. Issuer Name and Ticker or Trading Symbol ECOLAB INC [ECL] 5. Relationship of Reporting Person(s) to Issuer (Check all applicable) __X__ Director _____ 10% Owner __X__ Officer (give title below) _____ Other (specify below) Chairman and CEO (Last) (First) (Middle) ECOLAB INC., 370 WABASHA STREET N. 3. Date of Earliest Transaction (Month/Day/Year) 05/24/2012 (Street) ST. PAUL, MN 55102 4. If Amendment, Date Original Filed(Month/Day/Year) 6. Individual or Joint/Group Filing(Check Applicable Line) _X_ Form filed by One Reporting Person ___ Form filed by More than One Reporting Person (City) (State) (Zip) Table I - Non-Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned

1.Title of Security (Instr. 3) 2. Transaction Date (Month/Day/Year) 2A. Deemed Execution Date, if any (Month/Day/Year) 3. Transaction Code (Instr. 8) 4. Securities Acquired (A) or Disposed of (D) (Instr. 3, 4 and 5) 5. Amount of Securities Beneficially Owned Following Reported Transaction(s) (Instr. 3 and 4) 6. Ownership Form: Direct (D) or Indirect (I) (Instr. 4) 7. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership (Instr. 4) Code V Amount (A) or (D) Price Common Stock 05/24/2012   M   314,000 A $ 34.5 427,847.583 D   Common Stock 05/24/2012   F(1)   229,295 D $ 65.19 198,552.583 D   Common Stock 05/24/2012   M   37,034 A $ 43.24 235,586.583 D   Common Stock 05/24/2012   F(1)   29,888 D $ 65.19 205,698.583 D   Common Stock 05/24/2012   M   59,544 A $ 51.445 265,242.583 D   Common Stock 05/24/2012   F(1)   52,349 D $ 65.19 212,893.583 D   Common Stock 05/24/2012   M   61,885 A $ 46.715 274,778.583 D   Common Stock 05/24/2012   F(1)   51,834 D $ 65.19 223,623.895 (2) D   Common Stock               96,400 I By wife Common Stock               5,186.702 (3) I By Ecolab Savings Plan

Reminder: Report on a separate line for each class of securities beneficially owned directly or indirectly.
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Table II - Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned
(e.g., puts, calls, warrants, options, convertible securities)

1. Title of Derivative Security (Instr. 3)

2. Conversion or Exercise Price of Derivative Security

3. Transaction Date (Month/Day/Year)

3A. Deemed Execution Date, if any (Month/Day/Year)

4. Transaction Code (Instr. 8)

5. Number of Derivative Securities Acquired (A) or Disposed of (D) (Instr. 3, 4, and 5)

6. Date Exercisable and Expiration Date (Month/Day/Year)

7. Title and Amount of Underlying Securities (Instr. 3 and 4)

8. Price of Derivative Security (Instr. 5)

9. Number of Derivative Securities Beneficially Owned Following Reported Transaction(s) (Instr. 4)

10. Ownership Form of Derivative Security: Direct (D) or Indirect (I) (Instr. 4)

11. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership (Instr. 4)

Code

V

(A)

(D)

Date Exercisable

Expiration Date

Title

Amount or Number of Shares

Employee Stock Option (Right to Buy)

$ 34.5

05/24/2012

M

314,000

12/09/2005(4)

12/09/2014

Common Stock

314,000

$ 0

0

D

Employee Stock Option (Right to Buy)

$ 43.24

05/24/2012

M

37,034

06/13/2007

12/05/2012

Common Stock

37,034

$ 0

0

D

Employee Stock Option (Right to Buy)

$ 51.445

05/24/2012

M

59,544

12/14/2007

12/05/2012

Common Stock

59,544

$ 0

0

D

Employee Stock Option (Right to Buy)

$ 46.715

05/24/2012

M

61,885

09/16/2009

12/05/2012

Common Stock

61,885

$ 0

0

D

Reporting Owners

Reporting Owner Name / Address	Relationships
	Director	10% Owner	Officer	Other
BAKER DOUGLAS M JR ECOLAB INC. 370 WABASHA STREET N. ST. PAUL, MN 55102	X		Chairman and CEO

Signatures

/s/ David F. Duvick, Attorney-in-Fact for Douglas M. Baker, Jr.		05/25/2012
**Signature of Reporting Person		Date

Explanation of Responses:

*	If the form is filed by more than one reporting person, see Instruction 4(b)(v).
**	Intentional misstatements or omissions of facts constitute Federal Criminal Violations. See 18 U.S.C. 1001 and 15 U.S.C. 78ff(a).
(1)	Reflects the reporting person's payment of the exercise price and witholding taxes for a stock option issued in accordance with Rule 16b-3 by delivering or withholding shares of Ecolab common stock.
(2)	Includes 345.102 shares acquired on January 20, 2012 and 334.210 shares acquired on April 19, 2012 by dividend reinvestment under the Dividend Reinvestment Plan for shareholders of Ecolab sponsored by Computershare Trust Company, N.A.
(3)	Number of UNITS in the Ecolab Stock Fund of the Ecolab Savings Plan (401(k) Plan) as of April 30, 2012. Includes 33.675 UNITS acquired since the reporting person's last report. (The 5,186.702 UNITS are the equivalent of approximtely 9,644 SHARES of the issuer's Common Stock.)
(4)	Option granted under the Ecolab Inc. 2002 Stock Incentive Plan. The option became exercisable, on a cumulative basis, as to one-third of the option shares (excluding any fractional portion less than one share), on each of the first and second anniversaries of the date of grant and as to the remaining shares on the third anniversary of the date of grant.

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