Norton Cemetery, Keene, new section (Provided photo)

KEENE VALLEY — The town of Keene has set aside land in its soon-to-be-expanded Norton Cemetery that can be used for green burials by community and seasonal residents, the second cemetery so approved in the Adirondack Park. On Monday, April 24, a lively crowd turned out for a public forum at the Keene Valley Library to discuss the pros and cons and what burial in a green plot would entail.

In the United States, there is a growing interest in green burials, burying our loved ones or ourselves in a manner that does not contribute to environmental pollution and, ideally, is more affordable. The two leading forms are traditional burials and cremation.

Cremation, now at 57% of all burials, has grown to become the leading method for a number of reasons. It radically cuts the cost and avoids the use of the chemicals used in embalming a body. Plus, burying urns takes up less space in cemeteries, people are becoming increasingly creative as to how they manage the ashes. People often spread the ashes over one or more places significant to the recently departed, or place them in urns that reflect the person’s personality.

The environmental impact of traditional burials is significant. Formaldehyde, glycerin, menthol and phenol are the leading toxic chemicals used in embalming. Over 800,000 gallons of just formaldehyde are buried in the ground, along with the bronze, copper, steel and wood used to construct the caskets. Annually, the equivalent of four million acres of timber is used, buried in over a million acres of land.

But, like traditional burials, cremation has an environmental impact. Cremation requires high heat, two to four hours at temperatures over 1,800 degrees Fahrenheit; enough energy to drive a car halfway across the country or heat an average house for a month. Cremation also results in significant air pollution; adding up to over 360,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions last year.

Attending a public forum Monday, April 24 in the Keene Valley Library about the Norton Cemetery’s expansion plans, from left, are Jerry Smith, the town sextant who has been digging the graves for over 40 years, and Peter Slocum, chairman of the town of Keene Cemetery Advisory Committee. (Provided photo — Naj Wikoff)

Most burials were relatively green up to the Civil War, when many families called for their loved ones be returned home and placed in a local cemetery plot. To fulfill those requests, undertakers and chemists came up using chemicals to keep the bodies quickly from decomposing so they could be transported from the war zones. As that approach grew in popularity, it soon became the standard way of preparing bodies.

Green burial methods are varied, but the overall goal is to use biodegradable materials, such as bamboo, banana leaf, fabric shrouds, pine boxes and wicker baskets. Cardboard contains a wide array of chemicals, so it is not recommended. And, if the body is clothed, then only natural products like cotton and wool are used; fleece, nylon and other carbon-based materials are not allowed. A variation is a mushroom shroud, organic cotton impregnated with fungi spores and other microorganisms that assist in the body’s decomposition.

One can be creative. “The Dead Good Funerals Book,” is filled with suggestions for creating an artistically decorated coffin that celebrates the character, life and achievements of the dearly departed — using all natural materials.

Another approach is water cremation, placing the body in a warm bath of water and alkaline chemicals that dissolve everything but the bones. The water solution left over can safely be spread as yard fertilizer, and the bones ground up, placed in a biodegradable urn, and buried in the ground. A variation is to have the body, along with some alfalfa, straw and wood chips set in a special composting machine, resulting in soil that can be used in a garden.

As Keene’s Norton Cemetery was running out of space, town officials needed to come up with a solution to deal with the problem. The expansion plan began in the early 1990s and required a number of hurdles before the state of New York could get 144 acres from the town of Keene in return for 12 acres of state land for the graveyard addition behind the veteran’s memorial field. The swap needed an amendment to the state constitution, which required the Assembly and Senate to approve the proposal in two consecutive years — which they did in 1994 and 1995. Then, it had to be approved by state voters — which they did in November 1995.

Norton Cemetery, Keene, old section (Provided photo)

With the expansion plan moving ahead, regulations and pricing needed to be established.

Cemetery Advisory Committee chair Peter Slocum said hearing of a growing interest in green burials, they conducted a poll on Nextdoor Keene that confirmed a high interest in that method, with cremation second and traditional in third. Thus, they developed a proposed plan for the community’s review.

“We came up with a draft set of plans and regulations that were reviewed and approved by the town board last December,” Slocum said. “The regulations incorporate a three-way mix in the new cemetery, traditional caskets with a cement liner, cremation space, which is becoming increasingly popular, and a green burial option. So, in the initial plot, we allocated 150 plots for green burials, 100 for the traditional and 150 for cremation.”

Members of the Keene Town Council voted unanimously Dec. 13, 2022, during their regular meeting to embrace the new plan.

A single green plot has space for two bodies, four in a cremation and traditional plots. Only flat, non-polished 12- by 24-inch grave markers will be allowed in the green and cremation plots. In a conventional, all three methods can be mixed in one plot, and above-ground memorials are available; pricing has not been determined. The green burials will not allow mowing over the plot, but wildflowers are encouraged. All burials will have to be facilitated with the assistance of a funeral agency. Only people connected to Keene, such as year-round and seasonal residents and their families, may be buried in the graveyard.

“Overall, 1,100 potential plots are available, so we have lots of room to expand and change the percentages in the three areas if, for example, the green turns out to be a total loser or more popular than anticipated,” Slocum said.

Slocum went on to say that he and Town Sextant Jerry Smith toured various green burial sites in Vermont and shared their research results into placing urns in stonewalls and other settings that would enhance the natural feel of the site.

Keene town Supervisor Joe Pete Wilson said the next step is to survey the initial plots as they sell the plots to families, which sparked some humorous responses at the public forum that even dead people cannot avoid paying property taxes. The goal is to enable burials in 2023, which again inspired quips about the need to pop grandpa in a freezer if he died prematurely. Overall, a lively Q&A session lasted about 45 minutes. Pricing and opportunities for reserving a plot will be announced in the future.