'White powder' in letter to governor's mansion brings out hazmat team; no danger

A small amount of white powder was found in a letter Monday morning at the Minnesota governor's mansion, but it was determined to be non-threatening, state law enforcement officials said this afternoon.

Mansion staff contacted the Minnesota State Patrol, which "out of an abundance of caution," brought in a St. Paul Fire Department hazardous materials team, the state's public safety office said this afternoon.

The letter posed no threat to the governor, officials said.

One staff member who handled the letter was decontaminated by St. Paul fire department officers, but no one was hospitalized.

Officials have not identified the substance. The state Department of Health is testing the powder to see what it is, said Minnesota State Patrol spokesperson Lt. Eric Roeske.

"There was not a threat stated in the letter, but that does not necessarily mean a lot as far as what the substance might be," he said. "Obviously in this day and age we need to take every precaution and take a look at it and try to determine what it may possibly be."

Officials say testing of the substance should take three to five days.