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                                                                    EXHIBIT 99.2



NEWS RELEASE

                                                                  [TENNECO LOGO]



                      TENNECO PRICES $500,000,000 OF NOTES



     GREENWICH, Conn., -- Oct. 8, 1999 -- Tenneco Inc. (NYSE: TEN) said today it
had priced $500,000,000 of 11 5/8% Senior Subordinated Notes due October 15,
2009, in connection with the spin-off of Tenneco Packaging and the separation of
Tenneco's packaging and automotive businesses planned for November.

     The offering is a component of the plan to realign Tenneco's debt before
the spin-off of the packaging business. The Notes will be continuing obligations
of the automotive business.

     Tenneco is offering the notes in reliance upon an exemption from
registration under the Securities Act of 1933 for an offer and sale of
securities that does not involve a public offering. The Notes have not been
registered under the Securities Act and may not be offered or sold by investors
in the United States absent registration or an applicable exemption from
registration. If the spin-off of Tenneco Packaging is not consummated, the
company will redeem the notes in whole. Proceeds from the offering will be held
in escrow until they are released upon satisfaction of various conditions.

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Several statements in this press release are forward looking and are identified
by the use of forward looking words and phrases, such as "planned," "to
realign," "will be," "in reliance upon," "will," and "until." These forward
looking statements are based on the current expectations of the Company
(including its subsidiaries). Because forward looking statements involve risks
and uncertainties, the Company's plans, actions and actual results could differ
materially. Among the factors that could cause plans, actions and results to
differ materially from current expectations are: (i) the general political,
economic and competitive conditions in markets and countries where the Company
and its subsidiaries operate, including currency fluctuations and other risks
associated with operating in foreign countries; (ii) governmental actions,
including the ability to receive regulatory approvals and the timing of such
approvals; (iii) change in capital availability or costs; (iv) results of
analysis regarding plans and strategic alternatives; (v) changes in consumer
demand and prices, including decreases in demand for the Company's products and
the resulting negative impact on its revenues and margins from such products;
(vi) the cost of compliance with changes in regulations, including environmental
regulations; (vii) workforce factors such as strikes or labor interruptions;
(viii) material substitutions and increases in the costs of raw materials; (ix)
the ability of the Company and its subsidiaries to integrate operations of
acquired businesses quickly and in a cost-effective manner, (x) new
technologies; (xi) the ability of the Company, its subsidiaries and those with
whom they conduct business to timely resolve the Year 2000 issue (relating to
potential equipment and computer failures by or at the change of the century),
unanticipated costs of, problems with, or delays in resolving the Year 2000
issue, and the costs and impacts if the Year 2000 issue is not timely resolved;
(xii) changes by the Financing Accounting Standards Board or other accounting
regulatory bodies of authoritative generally accepted accounting principles or
policies; and (xiii) the timing and occurrence (or non-occurrence) of
transactions and events which may be subject to circumstances beyond the control
of the Company and its subsidiaries.




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     Media Relations Contact:      Neil Geary (203)863-1073

     Investor Relations Contact:   Stan March (203)863-1117