Sunoco New Jersey refinery releases dust--local media

NEW YORK, April 9 (Reuters) - Sunoco Inc (SUN.N: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz) released an unspecified amount of alumina silica from its 145,000 barrel per day Eagle Point, New Jersey refinery on Monday evening, blanketing several cars in West Deptford Township with the white dust, local media reported Wednesday.

The dust is considered "a non-hazardous material," McCann told the Gloucester County Times. "It's considered a nuisance dust, if anything. It's generally non-hazardous."

A spokeswoman for the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection told the Times that the agency was notified of the release on Tuesday morning and the cause of the release is being investigated.

Sunoco will compensate area residents for any clean-up costs, McCann said.

The problem at the Eagle Point refinery comes after a power outage shut the company's 178,000 bpd refinery in Marcus Hook, Pennsylvania on Monday. (Reporting by Rebekah Kebede; Editing by John Picinich)