State, county fine local gas stations for violations
BY JENNIFER KOHLHEPP Staff Writer
Recent inspections of Monmouth County gas stations turned up a few violations in Millstone and Allentown.

During the county's annual inspection of gas pumps and other measuring devices, James Heath, of the Monmouth County Department of Weights & Measures, looks at the interior of a gasoline pump to make sure it has not been tampered with.

The State Attorney General's Gasoline Service Station Task Force's survey of 1,023 gas stations from May 28-30 turned up 350 violations at stations across the state, including the local Gasko Allentown Valero at 1650 Old York Road in Allentown for having noncompliant price-per-gallon road signs.

During the state survey, eight Monmouth County stations were identified for possible price sign violations, which are under review by the Attorney General's Office. Typically, price sign violations occur when the price on the sign does not match the price on the pump, or if cash-only prices are posted without the price for credit card sales.

The other local stations the state fined for violations during its survey were Freehold Shell on East Main Street in Freehold Borough for failure to maintain dispensers/hoses and Raceway at 4200 Route 9 south in Freehold for having noncompliant price-pergallon road signs.

Monmouth County also recently finished its annual inspection for accurate measurements at all gasoline pumps in the county, which turned up violations at two Millstone and a few other area stations.

R.K. Fuel Inc. at 519 Route 33 in Millstone was fined $100 for under pumping gasoline. The other stations in the county fined for under pumping gas were Getty on Monmouth Road in Oakhurst, Fort Monmouth Exxon at Route 35 and Tinton Avenue in Eatontown, Fortune Gas at 639 Route 9 north in Freehold and Keyport Marine Basin at West Front Street in Keyport.

Raceway Gas at 454 Route 33 and Route 527 in Millstone was fined $100 for using a gasoline pump that was not maintained in proper working order.

The other station in Monmouth County fined for the same reason was Singin Oil at 248 Broadway in Long Branch.

As required by state law, all fuel dispensers the public has access to must be inspected, tested and sealed each year by the Monmouth County Department of Weights & Measures. This inspection includes, but is not limited to, testing every pump for accuracy of volume and price.

Monmouth County inspectors visited all 215 service stations and inspected 5,000 fuel pumps.

"Thanks to the Department of Weights & Measures, Monmouth County motorists can be assured that when they fill their gasoline tanks they are getting what they pay for," Freeholder Director Lillian G. Burry said. "Inspectors check every pump to ensure price is calibrated properly and actual volume being pumped is correct. This is especially important given the record high prices of gasoline."

Benjamin Peluso, director of the Department of Weights & Measures, said most gasoline pumps in the county are accurate.

"While final numbers won't be available until mid-July, inspections so far have identified five pumps, all at different stations, for delivering less gasoline than the quantity represented on the meter," he said. "Two other stations each had a pump closed for failing to maintain the pump in proper working order."

Of the $24,000 in fines levied so far this year for all Weights & Measures violations, just $700 resulted from service stations violations that included pumping less gasoline than the quantity represented.

The department also collects about $70,000 a year in state-mandated fees. Together with the fines, this money is used to offset the department's operating expenses.

The department suggests consumers look for a current, blue Weights & Measures sticker on gasoline pumps that have passed inspection.