Green Burial Council

Cremation disposition

CATEGORY ONE: Undersea Memorial Reefs

1. Start-up Criteria. An Undersea Memorial Reef must:
   1. be manufactured or fabricated from materials which are non-harmful
      to marine life;
   2. be placed only in areas which have been recommended, approved, and permitted for placement by the appropriate governing authority for artificial reef placement;
   3. be placed at depths below conventional maritime and recreational traffic,
   4. house human remains in a permanent manner which does not cause harm to the marine environment; or leach back into the environment; and
   5. make available proof of stability testing by an independent agency that reef can withstand a Category 3 storm.
2. Operations and Management Criteria. Operators must:
   1. use certified divers for all undersea placements of cremated remains (for existing reef structures);
   2. document every interment; and
   3. develop, document, and implement a plan to monitor reef growth and maturing of reef.
3. Burial Criteria. Operators must:
   1. utilize undersea interment practices that conform to all relevant state, federal and international laws regulating such reefs;
   2. ensure that cremated remains of individuals will be permanently contained within the burial reef structures; and
   3. conduct undersea burials in a manner which minimizes disturbances to the marine ecosystem.
4. Customer Relations Criteria. Operators must:
   1. allow clients/families to be involved with the burial and ritual process so long as participation does not conflict with state law or with these protocols in form or substance;
   2. not provide misleading information to the media or to the general public;
   3. comply with state and federal regulations regarding pre-funding and disclose all goods and services being pre-funded along with information detailing the percentage of funds set aside to fulfill an obligation;
   4. fully disclose the appropriate permits involved, the length that the permit is available for active reef building purposes, who holds the permit and who is responsible for the maintenance of the reef site (If a specific site is designated as a part of the pre-funding agreement);
   5. document all aspects of the commitment for reef memorialization including who will be memorialized, where they will be memorialized and what product will be utilized; and
   6. provide a plan disclosing how the company will fulfill their commitments in the event the designated sites are no longer available for placement.

CATEGORY TWO: Scattering Grounds

A GBC approved Scattering Ground must be protected in perpetuity through the use of a deed restriction or a conservation easement.

Any representations made regarding an environmental purpose being furthered from the proceeds of the sale of scattering rights must also include information regarding:

1. the percentage of money being utilized for such a purpose; and
2. the name of the environmental organization overseeing these monies.