South Jersey cemetery offers green burial

Here's a story about a cemetery near the Jersey Shore that has begun offering green burials.

Green cemetery backers sue Ga. County

The operators of a proposed green cemetery have sued Bibb County, Ga., in federal court over regulations the county passed that effectively kill the project before it ever began.

Green burials OK in Virginia county

Despite opposition from farmers and others, a county board of supervisors approved green burial after research showed no harmful impacts.

Green burial option in Washington state

A cemetery in Washington state now offers green burial options, another in the growing trend.

Green burial grows in popularity in Georgia

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution has a feature story about the growth in interest of green burials in Fulton County, Georgia.

Green burials in Michigan

With the approach of Earth Day, the Detroit Free Press reports on the growing phenomenon of green burials.

Oregon cemetery district to offer green burials

Because of increased interest in natural burials, the Estacada Cemetery District is beginning to offer them.

South Dakota town mulls OK for green cemetery

The town of Mitchell, South Dakota, responding to changes in public sentiment, is reviewing changes to its laws to allow green burial.

Bibb County, Ga., green cemetery report: NACO

The National Association of Counties has a report on its Web site discussing the dispute over the green cemetery plan that has been stalled by the county commissioners.

New green cemetery opening in Washington state

A new natural cemetery, called the Meadow, will open in Washington state this week. According to this article, Washington will have two of the 11 so-called certified natural cemeteries in the country.

Bibb County, Ga.: Beyond the headlines

I've done a little Web searching about the efforts to ban green cemeteries in Bibb County, Georgia, via the commissioners' ill-conceived and ill-advised amendments to their cemetery code. Here's a sampling of what I've found.
First, we have some eloquent comments from author Mark Harris, who helped turn me on to the subject of cemeteries when he was interviewed on NPR's "Fresh Air," and I was searching for a topic for my Land Use class.
In his letter to the commissioners, Harris references an endorsement of the Summerland Natural Cemetery from the Funeral Consumers Alliance's executive director, Joshua Slocum.
The Examiner.com also has a summary from it's Atlanta political blogger, Perry B. Goodfriend. Frankly, he raises a good point (whether he did it intentionally or otherwise might be open to debate that the Wall Street Journal article takes note that such a cemetery would be utilized by " 'old hippies,' penny pinchers, environmentalists and Muslims -- who traditionally bury the dead without caskets." I read right over that; or at least it didn't register to me how stinging - snarky?! - the comment is.
Here is a piece from April 2008 in which the county Zoning and Planning Commission gave its initial approval. Since this was OK'd before the county commissioners amended the cemetery code, this leads me to wonder whether Summerland is grandfathered in. Stay tuned.

Bibb County, Ga., debate goes on

Pay no attention to the headline of this article, because from what I can tell, the debate is still raging. Both sides of the debate about a green cemetery continue to spar, and now, there is talk of banning green burials in other counties, according to this article:

The Twiggs County Commission already is in the process of adopting changes
to its own cemetery ordinance that would prohibit green burials.
“If this was happening in Bibb, then the next logical thing was Twiggs would be a
prime place to try this effort again,” Twiggs County Commission Chairman Ray
Bennett said.

Green burial an option in Utah

Memorial Cemeteries and Mortuaries is the first company in Utah to offer natural burials.

Dozens turn out for Bibb County, Ga., hearing

About 40 people attended a county commissioners meeting to voice their opinions on an ordinance that forbids a natural cemetery.

More on Bibb County, Georgia's opposition to a natural cemetery

The Wall Street Journal has a lengthy story about the misguided opposition to plans for a natural cemetery. Well, the paper doesn't come right out and label the opposition misguided, but, folks, it is. Among the irrational fears is that of water contamination. They don't realize that their waters are probably more polluted from people who flush their pharmaceuticals down the toilet than from the way folks have been buried all over the world for all but the last 150 years.
It's understandable that conventional funeral providers might be skittish about losing business to green burial, but ignorance of the laws of nature -- ashes to ashes and dust to dust -- has no place in the 21st century. And the forward-thinking funeral providers are considering green burial among their services.

Wisconsin news

Residents had complained for years about the condition of the Oak Hill Cemetery in Janesville, so the town council agreed to take over operation and accept a transfer of funds from the cemetery association.
Meanwhile, in Waukesha, the Prairie Home Cemetery is planning for green burials.

Green cemeteries; Mark Harris alert

The Houston Chronicle reports on emerging green cemeteries; article includes comments from author Mark Harris.

First Canadian "green" cemetery

Canada has its first natural cemetery.