There was public outcry last Thursday  by some residents of Port Harcourt City over continued pollution of the environment by black soot, following the detruction of illegally refined petroleum products by officers of the National Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC).
Some of the residents, who reacted to the development urged NSCDC to seek a new way of handling the petroleum products without burning them.
An environmentalist, Chidi Emene, said, by setting the illegal products on fire, the agency contributed largely to pollution of the environment.
“One would suggest that NSCDC should rather confiscate the products and take them back to the refineries and up grade the quality.
“By so doing, the wastage has been avoided as well as the health and environmental pollution caused by setting it the product ablaze,” he said.
Another respondent Paulinus Williams, expressed fear over the health implication and appealed to the Federal and State governments to end the black soot by devising a new means of discharging the illegally refined petroleum products.
Williams, who is a teacher noted that, hardly does any week pass without the incidence of black soot, and urged government to do something urgently.
He appealed to those involved in illegal bunkdering to desist for the sake of the people and and the environment.
Another repsondnet, Christopher Nweke, called on community leaders and youths to help the security agents by reporting to the appropriate quarters any person burning tyres, stressing that, apart from burning of petroleum products, burning of tyre also contributes to the problem of black soot.

Chris Oluoh