More Soil Contaminated With TCE Found in East Minneapolis

MINNEAPOLIS - Minnesota officials say they don't know where additional soil contamination from trichloroethylene and other chemicals found in east Minneapolis is coming from.

Reports say Minnesota Pollution Control Agency researchers found contamination this summer and are trying to locate the source by gaining access to buildings in the area. TCE has been linked to an increased risk of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and can increase the risk of kidney cancer.

TCE contamination previously discovered in the area was linked to disposal at a General Mills facility decades ago. General Mills disposed of the industrial solvent in an "absorption pit" from 1947 to 1962.

General Mills spokesman Rob Litt says state pollution control agency data and evidence from environmental sampling show that the current TCE contamination could be originating from more than one place.