New Jersey DEP Fines 17 Gas Stations Nearly $430,000, Including 6 Freedom Fuel Sites
Updated
Updated · The Philadelphia Inquirer · Aug 27
New Jersey DEP Fines 17 Gas Stations Nearly $430,000, Including 6 Freedom Fuel Sites
1 articles · Updated · The Philadelphia Inquirer · Aug 27
Summary
$430,000 in New Jersey DEP penalties hit 17 gas stations in May, including six South Jersey sites now branded Freedom Fuel that account for more than $202,000.
The fines stem from violations dating to 2023, including unregistered underground tanks, missing overfill protection, uncleared out-of-service lines and fuel deliveries made despite state bans.
Egg Harbor's 6801 Tilton Rd. station drew a $50,000 maximum penalty after four November 2023 deliveries while barred from receiving fuel; DEP called it a deliberate and knowing act.
Blue Owl Capital owns the 17 stations and Shamikh and Syed Kazmi operate them; the operators have requested a hearing, while one Philadelphia Freedom Fuel site fixed a failed license inspection and stayed open.
The findings add scrutiny to a chain the White House promoted in July for selling gas 40 to 50 cents below nearby stations, though some Freedom Fuel prices have since moved closer to rivals.