Re: Our community need help on Cremation & Embalmment studies

[Alan Muller <amuller@dca.net>]

At 03:59 PM 9/15/99 -0400, Kam Chung wrote:
>Our community need help.
>
>We are a group of residents live in San Jose California. Our city has
>just approved a cramatorium to be established within our neighborhood.
>The crematorium is located right next to an elementary school having
>700 students, and within half a mile to many residential area. 

I have seen some data on crematoria, but not recently.  Some questions:

What if any facility is now operating at the proposed site?  What activities would take place at the proposed site?  Do I understand that embalming and other activities involving corpses would be done there?  Would corpses be stored there?  How many?  For how long?

What emission controls are proposed to be installed?

How tall would the smokestack be?

What monitoring equipment is proposed to be installed?

What are the projected emissions based on?

Would the corpses be embalmed prior to cremation?  If so, what chemicals would be used?

What about mercury emissions from dental fillings?

What other permits are needed for this project?

How would employees and neighbors be protected from infectious diseases?

Are people living near other crematoria available for interviews and testimony on their experiences...?

What is the history of the company proposing this facility?  Do they operate similar facilities elsewhere?  If so, what are the experiences of the neighbors there?

I have heard complaints that in my location (Delaware) blood drained from corpses at "funeral homes" is put down the drain.  I have not confirmed this.

>From a legal point of view, is it the responsibility of the applicant to show that permission should be granted?  What are the *legal* criteria for making such decisions....?

If you pose many questions (do it in the press...), in my experience the applicant will probably be unable to give good answers to many.

Good luck in your efforts.

am

Alan Muller, Executive Director
Green Delaware
Box 69
Port Penn, DE 19731 USA
(302)834-3466
fax (302)836-3005 
greendel@dca.net
http://members.dca.net/greendel/