A Belford, Monmouth County, station was listed for having a faded octane sticker. Another in Medford was cited for changing the gas price more than once in a 24-hour period - even after its owner proved to inspectors that there was no violation.

Gas retailers across New Jersey yesterday fired back at the state Attorney General, who they said sensationalized an inspection report to garner publicity last week.

"A lot of us don't even know why we're on the list," said Steven Foulk, owner of Medford Fuel on Route 70 in Medford, who was included by the state among stations that allegedly scammed motorists. "We received no written violation or notice that we were on the list.

Sal Risalvato, executive director of the New Jersey Gasoline, C-Store, and Automotive Association, said yesterday that stations with minor and unintentional infractions were lumped in with those accused of consumer ripoffs.

Nearly a quarter of the 1,023 stations recently checked by inspectors were cited with 350 violations, Attorney General Anne Milgram said June 19. Weights and measures inspectors discovered pricing discrepancies, inaccurate octane ratings and equipment that was improperly calibrated.

Of the 240 stations that received tickets, 27 were in Camden County, four were in Gloucester County, and 53 were in Burlington County.

A list released yesterday by Burlington County found that only 33 stations there were guilty of violations. Foulk's station was not among those cited.

"We believe there was an misinterpretation by the state" that led to the earlier tally, the report said.

Many retailers identified by the state "had no infractions at all," said Risalvato, whose organization has 1,500 members.

"Their names should have never been listed by the attorney general," he said.

Yesterday's criticism came the same day that the attorney general's office issued a correction about an Essex County station "mistakenly listed as being in violation." State officials also explained why other stations might have been surprised to learn they were listed.

"Our information was based on what county [weights and measures] offices forwarded to us," said David Wald, a spokesman for the Division of Consumer Affairs of the Attorney General's Office. "There were some counties where they [inspectors] didn't specifically write citations, but told us of violations. . . .

"That's why you have some [operators] who said, 'I never got a violation, so why am I on list?' We asked counties to follow up and issue the citations," he said.

Wald dismissed the retailers' charges of grandstanding.

"We were clear about the kinds of violations we found," he said. "We are still doing regular inspections."

Officials at some county weights and measures offices said last week that they were caught off guard by the attorney general's news conference at a West Orange gas station. Some citations had not even been processed, they said.

"I called the weights and measures office in Burlington County and they told me, 'There is no violation at your location. . . . The state misinterpreted the data,' " Foulk said.

"My father opened this business on July 4, 1959. We've been here 50 years, building up a good reputation."

Five Wawa locations were cited for minor infractions, none of them calibration issues, said Wawa spokeswoman Lori Bruce. "We're taking steps to resolve them," she said, adding that it was "unfortunate" that the stations were listed with those accused of cheating.

At a news conference at a Union gas station yesterday, Risalvato said scores of violations cited by the attorney general did not involve fraud.

"A retailer who doesn't have a test can on site is not dishonest," he said.

Risalvato cited several station owners who believed they were wrongfully included on the list.

Bob Simpson of the Shell in Randolph, Morris County, was ticketed because he had a burned out bulb on his pump, he said. Sam Mahmood of Ledgewood, Morris County, was cited for selling gas two cents cheaper per gallon than his sign stated.

"By painting in such large brush strokes," Risalvato said, the attorney general has depicted "many honest retailers with minor infractions as intentionally trying to deceive patrons."