NEWARK
— Attorney General Peter C. Harvey
announced that the Office of Weights and
Measures in the Division of Consumer Affairs
has shut down the pumps at a Buena Vista
gas station following discovery that the
station was selling contaminated gasoline
below the octane rating displayed to customers.
The Lukoil gas station, located at 1335
Harding Highway, will remain shut until
all the gasoline in the station’s
storage tanks is removed. Weights and
Measures inspectors will then retest new
gasoline delivered to the station and
verify that proper octane levels are met.
Consumer Affairs Director Kimberly Ricketts
stated that, in response to a complaint
from a consumer, the Division’s
Office of Weights and Measures inspectors
tested the super unleaded gasoline at
the station. The super unleaded was found
to have an 81-octane rating, far below
the 93-octane rating displayed on the
dispensing pump. The station’s regular
unleaded also was tested and found to
have an 83-octane rating rather than the
87-octane rating displayed on the pump.
“We
consistently protect consumers’
pocketbooks, especially for goods and
services that are essential to our lives.
Bad gas is a defective product that can
cause major damage to engines. With replacement
engines costing thousands of dollars,
deceiving consumers by selling low-octane
gasoline is both costly and dangerous.
We are seeking the maximum penalties allowed,”
Attorney General Harvey said.
State inspectors acting under the authority
of the Attorney General sealed off all
pumps at the gas station on Wednesday,
Aug. 24. The owner of the Lukoil station,
S&S Petroleum, faces a $250 to $1,000
penalty for a first offense, under state
regulations. Subsequent violations carry
a $1,000 to $5,000 penalty, with jail
time possible as well.
At least one driver noticed how badly
his vehicle reacted to the super unleaded
gasoline after stopping at the Lukoil
station and contacted the State Office
of Weights and Measures.
“We
encourage motorists to contact the State
or their local Weights and Measures Office
to report any suspected violations occurring
at gas stations,” Consumer Affairs
Director Ricketts said. “Weights
and Measures inspectors regularly check
gas stations and they will also respond
to specific complaints, as happened in
this instance.”
Ricketts added that motorists can take
the following actions when purchasing
gasoline:
- Check
that the per-gallon price displayed
on the roadside sign matches the per-gallon
price setting on the pump;
-
Look for the blue Weights and Measures
sticker on the gas pump, which verifies
that the pump has been inspected annually
as required and found to be in proper
working order.
- Make
sure that the price display on the gas
pump is set to zero before the attendant
starts the pump; and
- Verify
the price that the attendant tells you
to pay by checking the display on the
pump.
The State Office of Weights and Measures,
located in Avenel, can be contacted at
732-815-4840. The list
of municipal and county Offices of Weights
and Measures is below, along with contact
telephone numbers:
|
|
|
|
|
Municipal
and County Offices of Weights and
Measures |
|
Atlantic
County
|
|
609-345-6700 |
|
Bergen
County
|
|
201-336-6424
|
|
Burlington
County
|
|
609-265-5098 |
|
Camden
County
|
|
856-374-6001 |
|
Cape
May County
|
|
609-463-6472 |
|
Cumberland
County
|
|
856-453-2203 |
|
Essex
County
|
|
973-395-8350 |
|
Gloucester
County
|
|
856-384-6855 |
|
Hudson
County
|
|
201-319-3820 |
|
Hunterdon
County
|
|
908-788-1249 |
|
Mercer
County
|
|
609-989-6579 |
|
Middlesex
County
|
|
732-745-3872
|
|
Monmouth
County
|
|
732-431-7362 |
|
Morris
County
|
|
973-285-2955 |
|
Ocean
County
|
|
732-929-2166 |
|
Passaic
County
|
|
973-305-5750 |
|
Salem
County
|
|
856-339-8608 |
|
Somerset
County
|
|
908-231-7125 |
|
Sussex
County
|
|
973-948-5464
|
|
Union
County
|
|
908-654-9845
|
|
Warren
County
|
|
908-453-2828 |
|
Atlantic
City
|
|
609-347-5527 |
|
Bayonne
|
|
201-858-6112 |
|
Camden
City
|
|
856-968-4738 |
|
East
Orange
|
|
973-266-5318 |
|
Elizabeth
|
|
908-820-4113
|
|
Hamilton
(Mercer Co.)
|
|
609-890-3595
|
|
Jersey
City
|
|
201-547-5292 |
|
Linden
|
|
908-474-8403 |
|
Newark
|
|
973-733-6274
|
|
Nutley
|
|
973-284-4940 |
|
Paterson
|
|
973-321-1277 |
|
Trenton
|
|
609-989-3282 |