Neighbors speak out against proposal to bring ecofriendly cemetery to Frederick County

FREDERICK, Md. ( DC News Now ) — A proposal to put a green alternative cemetery was proposed to Frederick County, but some residents nearby have concerns.

Heather Abbott lives right next to the proposed site. The friendly concept of the cemetery is a perk to Abbott and her neighbors, but she still feels more research needs to be done.

“I want to know what is it going to be done to the land that we live on and what does this practice look like?” Abbott questioned.

She said she is concerned.

“There are no scholarly articles, there’s no peer-reviewed journals, there’s virtually no information about long-term effects of what something like this does to the ground and the groundwater and the soil and even the air quality,” Abbott continued.

According to the Director of Development Review, Mike Wilkins, the cemetery would be a more eco-friendly option for burial that would exclude harsh materials being put into the ground.

“The natural burial would not include the preparation of the remains in a traditional way that won’t include the concrete volume,” Wilkins explained. “It may include, a kind of natural material caskets.”

Another meeting will be held on May 8 to decide whether the county will approve the project, but Abbot hopes the county waits before giving their stamp of approval.

“Who’s going to be responsible when and if something goes wrong, who is going to be responsible for giving this place rules, regulations, and oversight at the end of the day,” Abbott said. “Who’s going to make sure that the rest of us are protected in this situation?’

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