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Burial Of Human Remains At Sea
Burial at sea is a personal and solemn occasion
According to federal regulations (40 CFR 229.1 (PDF) (1 p, 149K, About PDF) based on the Marine Protection, Research and Sanctuary Act of 1972, human remains transported from United States ports or on United States vessels or aircraft may be buried at sea under specified conditions. These include cremated as well as non-cremated remains.
Requirements for burying remains at sea are listed below. Burials in inland waters are
regulated according to the Clean Water Act. For inland waters burial, a permit is required
from the appropriate state agency.
Please note the requirement that the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) be notified within 30 days after burial.
Requirements
Preparation for burial
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Human remains shall be prepared for burial at sea and buried in accordance with accepted practices and requirements as may be deemed appropriate and desirable by the United States Navy, United States Coast Guard, or civil authority charged with the responsibility for making such arrangements. For example, local health departments may require burial or cremation permits.
The United States Navy Burial at Sea Program
provides additional information. Disposal location and measures - Non-cremated remains
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Burial at sea of human remains that are not cremated shall take place at least 3 nautical miles from land and in water at least 600 feet deep. Certain areas, including east central Florida, the Dry Tortugas, Florida and west of Pensacola, Florida to the Mississippi River Delta, require water at least 1800 feet deep. Refer to the Code of Federal Regulations at 40 CFR 229.1 (PDF) (1 p, 149K, About PDF) for details. All necessary measures shall be taken to ensure that the remains sink to the bottom rapidly and permanently.
Disposal location and measures - Cremated remains
Cremated remains shall be buried in or on ocean waters without regard to the depth limitations specified for non-cremated remains in paragraph 2 above provided that such burial takes place at least three nautical miles from land.
Decomposable flowers and wreaths
Flowers and wreaths consisting of materials that are readily decomposable in the marine environment may be placed at the burial site.
Notice to EPA within 30 days
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All burials conducted shall be reported within 30 days to the EPA Region in writing. The following information should be included and mailed or faxed to the Region 4 contact at the bottom of this page. You can copy the information below or complete and print the Region 4 burial at sea form (PDF) (1 p, 228K, About PDF).
NAME OF DECEASED: |
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|---|---|---|---|
DATE OF BURIAL/SCATTER: |
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TYPES OF REMAINS: |
Cremated ( ) | Non-Cremated ( ) | |
LOCATION OF BURIAL/SCATTER |
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| Latitude: | |||
| Longitude: | |||
| Distance from shore: (minimum of 3 nautical miles) |
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| Depth of water: | |||
VESSEL NAME: |
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VESSEL POINT OF CONTACT |
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| Name: | |||
| Phone: | |||
PORT OF DEPARTURE: |
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FOR NON-CREMATED REMAINS |
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| Did the remains appear to rapidly sink to the ocean floor? Yes ( ) No ( ) |
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DIRECTOR OR PERSON(S) RESPONSIBLE FOR BURIAL ARRANGEMENTS |
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| Name: | |||
| Phone: | |||
For More Information in Region 4
Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region 4
Attn: Gary Collins
61 Forsyth Street Southwest
Atlanta, GA 30303
Phone: (404) 562-9395 Fax: (404) 562-9343
E-Mail: Gary Collins (collins.garyw@epa.gov)
Burial at Sea Contacts in Other EPA Regions
Region 1:
Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Vermont
Ann Rodney (rodney.ann@epa.gov)
Burial at Sea Coordinator
US EPA Region 1
1 Congress St.
Boston, MA 02114-2023
(617) 918-1538
Region 2:
New Jersey, New York, Puerto Rico and U.S. Virgin Islands
Patricia Pechko (pechko.patricia@epa.gov)
Burial At Sea Coordinator
US EPA Region 2
290 Broadway
New York, NY 10007-1866
(212) 637-3796
Region 3:
District of Columbia, Delaware, Maryland, Pennsylvania, and Virginia
Renee Searfoss (searfoss.renee@epa.gov )
Burial At Sea Coordinator
EPA Region 3
1650 Arch Street
Philadelphia, PA 19103
(215) 814-2137
Region 6:
Lousiana and Texas
Stephen Bainter (bainter.stephen@epa.gov)
Burial At Sea Coordinator
US EPA Region 6
1445 Ross Avenue, Suite 1200
Dallas, TX 75202-2733
(214) 665-2793
Region 9:
California, Hawaii, American Samoa, Guam, Northern Marianas and Trust Territories
Allan Ota (ota.allan@epa.gov)
Burial At Sea Coordinator
U.S. EPA Region 9
75 Hawthorne Street
San Francisco, CA 94105
(415) 972-3476
Region 10:
Alaska, Oregon and Washington
Burney Hill (hill.burney@epa.gov)
Burial At Sea Coordinator
U.S. EPA Region 10
Regional Administrator's Office, RA-140
1200 Sixth Avenue Suite 900
Seattle, WA 98101
(206) 553-1761
Fax: (206) 553-1775