LEBANON — The City Council this week gave final approval to allow natural, or green, burials beginning June 1.
The approved ordinance, which was passed unanimously Wednesday during a meeting at City Hall, makes changes to the city’s rates for lots, burials and entombments, and it settles a few regulatory issues that had been sticking points.
A change to the ordinance that required family members to be responsible for digging natural burial graves in limited circumstances drew the most comment.
Rainie Kelly, who has advocated for years for the switch to natural burial, told the board she appreciated the work that had been done on the measure, but called the requirement that families be responsible for the digging the graves “unpalatable.”
“For a family like mine, this would be a deal-breaker,” Kelly said. “We would have to look for an alternative.”
Under the ordinance, city staff will prepare graves for natural burials as long as the plot is accessible to be dug with existing city equipment — some of which are heavy machines that could not drive over existing natural burials, which do not have a concrete vault and are prone to sinking, to dig new graves. (Graves may also require hand-digging due to trees or other obstructions.)
The city crews will help prepare the site to be dug, however, such as using a jackhammer to break up frozen ground in winter.
Councilor Karen Liot Hill said she understood both sides of the debate having heard from Kelly and city staff.
“I received a letter from Rainie, which I found quite compelling,” Hill said. “But there’s no perfect solution. We’ve done a lot of work on this and it’s very much a compromise policy at this point.”
Hill pointed out the city does not hand-dig any graves, so this policy would be treating everyone equally.
Natural burials will be allowed in Old Pine Tree Cemetery and in Section F of the West Lebanon Cemetery.
A natural burial requires that bodies be prepared without chemicals or embalming fluids that will leach into the soil and groundwater. Natural burials in Lebanon will also require a biodegradable casket that does not include oil-based varnishes, metal or materials that won’t break down.
Lebanon’s ordinance requires a “rigid casket, coffin, or biodegradable burial container and should have minimal use of nails, staples, glue, or other fasteners.”
The final version of the ordinance addressed several other topics that were brought up through public comment, by the city’s Board of Cemetery Trustees or by city councilors.
A residential restriction, included due to the popularity of green burials and the lack of availability in the region, was amended. Rather than barring nonresidents from purchase natural burial plots, the city instead decided to impose an added fee for nonresidents to purchase any lot.
The depth of natural graves, originally set at 5 feet, was reduced to 4 feet at the request of natural burial advocates to enhance the speed of decomposition.
Costs also are going up for most burials and entombments, whether natural or conventional, with fees increasing $50.
Residents will pay $700 for a full burial or $1,050 for a natural burial.
Nonresidents will pay double those rates.
Passing the ordinance has been a two-year process since it was first proposed in March 2019.
Along the way, the Board of Cemetery Trustees voted, 3-2, to place a five-year moratorium on changes that would allow natural burials. But the City Council overruled that moratorium and asked the City Manager’s office to prepare proposed regulations.
Darren Marcy can be reached at 603-727-3216 or dmarcy@vnews.com.