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, President & CEO (Last) (First) (Middle) ECOLAB INC., 370 WABASHA STREET N. 3. Date of Earliest Transaction (Month/Day/Year) 07/29/2010 (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 07/29/2010   M   23,499 A $ 35.515 76,689.132 D   Common Stock 07/29/2010   F(1)   19,813 D $ 48.895 56,876.132 D   Common Stock 07/29/2010   M   5,487 A $ 44.81 62,363.132 D   Common Stock 07/29/2010   F(1)   5,223 D $ 48.895 57,140.132 D   Common Stock 07/29/2010   M   27,717 A $ 44.81 84,857.132 D   Common Stock 07/29/2010   F(1)   26,389 D $ 48.895 58,812.832 (2) D   Common Stock               96,400 I By wife Common Stock               5,054.084 (3) I By Ecolab Savings Plan

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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)

$ 35.515

07/29/2010

M

23,499

12/14/2005

08/18/2010

Common Stock

23,499

$ 0

0

D

Employee Stock Option (Right to Buy)

$ 44.81

07/29/2010

M

5,487

10/24/2006

08/18/2010

Common Stock

5,487

$ 0

0

D

Employee Stock Option (Right to Buy)

$ 44.81

07/29/2010

M

27,717

10/24/2006

12/07/2010

Common Stock

27,717

$ 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, President & CEO

Signatures

/s/ David F. Duvick, Attorney-in-Fact for Douglas M. Baker, Jr.		07/30/2010
**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 withholding taxes for a stock option issued in accordance with Rule 16b-3 by withholding shares of Ecolab Common Stock.
(2)	Includes 115.277 shares acquired by reporting person on January 21, 2010, 118.241 shares acquired on April 20, 2010, and 111.182 shares acquired on July 20, 2010 by dividend reinvestment under the Dividend Reinvestment Plan for shareholders of Ecolab sponsored by Computershare Trust Company, Inc.
(3)	Number of UNITS in the Ecolab Stock Fund of the Ecolab Savings Plan (401(k) Plan) as of June 30, 2010. Includes 33.733 UNITS acquired since the reporting person's last report. (The 5,054.084 UNITS are the equivalent of approximtely 9,443 SHARES of the issuer's Common Stock.)

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