Michigan Sues Matty Moroun's Duty-Free Company Over Gas Sales
DETROIT (WWJ/AP) - The state claims a duty-free company at the Ambassador Bridge failed to comply with gasoline sales regulations.
The Department of Agriculture & Rural Development last week filed the lawsuit against Ammex, which is owned by Matty Moroun -- who also owns the Ambassador Bridge.
The lawsuit claims Moroun's company mislabeled gasoline as having higher octane than it really did -- with gas labeled as 93 octane when it tested as low as 91.2 octane.
Selling lower-octane gas under a higher-octane label means unsuspecting consumers could be paying a higher price per gallon than warranted by the market, and it also could mean their vehicles do not run as well with the less powerful fuel, The Detroit Free Press reported.
The lawsuit also claims Ammex fuel pumps are releasing excess fuel vapor.
The lawsuit comes ahead of a Nov. 6 vote on a Moroun-backed ballot proposal that would require Michigan voters to approve building any new border crossing to Canada. Proposal 6 seeks to derail a proposed Canadian-financed span that's being pushed by Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder.
The state says the lawsuit has nothing to do with Snyder.
Officials from Ammex have yet to comment on the lawsuit, which seeks unspecified civil fines.
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