Whereas Alkaline Hydrolysis Process funeral services present an opportunity to reduce the environmental impact of preparing and interring human remains by significantly reducing the amount of carbon dioxide emitted from burials and land use requirements for storing human remains; And whereas the Cremation, Interment, and Funeral Services Act does not permit Alkaline Hydrolysis as an acceptable process for preparing a deceased persons remains: Therefore be it resolved that UBCM call on the Minister of Public Safety and Solicitor General and Deputy Premier to prepare and introduce a bill in the Legislative Assembly of BC to amend the Cemetery, Interment, and Funeral Services Act to allow the alkaline hydrolysis process as a permitted funeral service.
Ministry of Attorney General The Cremation, Interment and Funeral Services Act governs the handling and disposition of human remains and currently permits disposition only by burial of human remains or cremated remains, entombment of human remains, or inurnment of cremated remains. The Act would need to be amended to allow for other methods of disposition in the province. The Province is aware that there is increasing interest from the public to allow for alternatives to traditional burial and cremation, including alkaline hydrolysis, as well as natural organic reduction. We are considering these alternative approaches that reduce our environmental footprint and provide British Columbians with more options. Ministry staff have initiated research and consultation on this topic to solicit feedback on the full range of implications associated with enabling these methods of disposition in BC. As part of this work, Ministry staff will be engaging prior to any legislative change, through the Union of British Columbia Municipalities, with local governments to ensure that consideration is given to the disposal of effluent from alkaline hydrolysis into wastewater.