McCormack Funeral Home wants to add aquamation to the list of services it offers the community.
Owner/Funeral Director Cameron McCormack tells Sarnia News Today it's an innovative and environmentally friendly alternative to traditional flame cremation.
"The body is dissolved in a solution that is 95 per cent water and five per cent alkaline, rather than being consumed in fire," McCormack said. "What makes it more environmentally friendly is that there are minimal greenhouse gas emissions in the process compared to cremation, it uses 1/6 to 1/8 less fossil fuels than cremation, and a casket or cremation container is not required for aquamation."
Harmful elements like mercury -- contained in fillings from teeth -- and medical and prosthetic devices can also be reclaimed and properly recycled.
McCormack said 20 per cent more remains are received at the conclusion of the process, because the bone is not consumed by fire.
"What we return to the family would be a fine white [powdery substance] that is safe to handle and you can do all the same things that you do with cremated remains. If you bury, or you hold onto them, or you want to scatter them... they're still environmentally friendly and safe to handle," he said.
McCormack said specialized equipment is required.
"The process of alkaline hydrolysis itself has been around since about 1888 for the dissolution of animals, but it's only been since about 2005 that the equipment has been made available for aquamation of humans. The equipment itself is compact enough that we will be able to keep it within the footprint of our building," he said.
If approved, water and wastewater requirements will need to be satisfied.
"I've seen a strong interest in it by the families that we're serving. In most cases, I think that you would find it to be less expensive when you're comparing it to traditional cremation," said McCormack.
He said currently the closest facility with equipment offering the service is about three hours away.
A public meeting is planned during Sarnia council's January 20 regular meeting, to consider a zoning bylaw amendment to permit alkaline hydrolysis at the George Street site.
The process is regulated under the Funeral, Burial and Cremation Services Act and administered by the Bereavement Authority of Ontario.