State Fines East Setauket BP Station For Gouging After Sandy

The storm has just hit for Long Island gas stations accused of price gouging in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy. 

On Friday, state Attorney General Eric Schneiderman filed lawsuits against three Long Island gas stations and one in Brooklyn, and announced settlements with 24 other stations in the New York Metro area – including one in East Setauket – all accused of taking advantage of panicked locals as they searched for gas amid post-storm fuel shortages. 

“Today, we are sending a powerful message that ripping off New Yorkers during a time of crisis is against the law and we will do everything in our power to hold them accountable," Schneiderman said in a statement. 

The Setauket Food Mart/BP station at 728 Rte 25A in East Setauket settled with the state for an undisclosed fine. According to the attorney general's office, the station boosted its prices to $1.45 above wholesale after the storm – charging $4.39 a gallon for regular gas. Before the disaster it was only charging 95 cents above wholesale. 

In total, the state has collected $167,850 in fines from the 24 station owners who accepted settlements. 

On Oct. 29, 2012, Hurricane Sandy made landfall on Long Island, knocking out power to nearly 1 million Long Island Power Authority customers. South Shore communities such and Long Beach, Freeport, Lindenhurst, Fire Island and Mastic Beach were devastated by the storm surge, which flooded and destroyed homes, decimated beaches and even tore breaches through barrier islands. 

In North Shore communities such as Smithtown, thousands of downed tress blocked roads, tore out power lines and damaged homes and property.

In the days that followed, the region suffered a fuel shortage due a disruption in the fuel delivery systems. Long lines drained the few stations that had gas in hours, fights broke out at the pumps and in some cases the police and the National Guard were called to stations to help keep order. 

In fact, the offending East Setauket station was the site of one of the more widely publicized gas station conflicts when a Stony Brook teenager was arrested for pulling a knife on station employees and demanding premium gas, even though the station had run out.

More than a week after the storm, as fuel deliveries started to pick back up, Gov. Andrew Cuomo ordered even-odd rationing in the state, which trimmed lines until the supply levels got back to normal. 

According to the attorney general, price gouging is illegal in the state in the wake of emergencies, and is defined as charging an "unconscionably excessive price," gleaned by comparing prices before a disaster against prices in its wake. 

Lawsuits have been filed against Greenpoint Truck Stop in Brooklyn, AGIP Gas in East Islip, USA Petroleum in Farmingdale and the BP at 900 N. Broadway, Massapequa, Schneiderman said.