A green burial practicum is held, with participants viewing a newly dug gravesite in the Keweenaw Peninsula. Green burial involves the use of biodegradable burial materials without toxic embalming fluids or vault. The Marquette City Commission on Monday voted in favor of allowing green burial sites at Park Cemetery. (Photos courtesy of Keweenaw Green Burial Alliance)

MARQUETTE — Marquette is joining multiple communities throughout the country in permitting an environmentally friendly, and an often more cost-efficient way, to bury the dead.

The Marquette City Commission on Monday unanimously passed an updated version of the rules and regulations at Park Cemetery, which includes accommodating green burials and mausoleums after an overwhelming interest was expressed by the public.

City sexton Paul Albert designated an area for the burials to be located in the Prairie Mound plat at the cemetery located off Seventh Street, city documents state. The plat is near the community gardens along the west end of the cemetery.

While the process is legal in the state of Michigan, green burials are not permitted in many communities. For several months, area residents and members of the group Marquette Green Burial reached out to city officials regarding green burials.

“I have been in contact with people in the Keweenaw … where this is accepted at three cemeteries, five funeral homes, and have been speaking with a lot of people in and around Marquette, and I’m finding there is simply a lot of interest in it here,” said Elizabeth Bates of Marquette Green Burial. “It’s been going on nationally for years, but in Marquette, at this point of time, it is not permitted, and so basically those of us who’ve talked about it, read about it, are simply hoping that in the rules and regulations for Park Cemetery that green burials would be permitted.”

Green burials do not involve embalming, caskets or concrete vaults. Instead, a biodegradable shroud or coffin is used, so the burials can be a cost-effective alternative to conventional burials, lowering the cost by thousands of dollars, the Funerals Consumer Alliance website states.

With a green burial, fewer resources are used, making the process more environmentally appealing for some.

Each year, U.S. cemeteries bury over 30 million board-feet of hardwood and 90,000 tons of steel in caskets, and 17,000 tons of steel and copper and 1.6 million tons of reinforced concrete in vaults during traditional funerals, the Funerals Consumer Alliance website states. About 5.3 million gallons of toxic embalming fluid is used every year as well.

Green burial sites also often restore or preserve a natural landscape populated by native trees, shrubs and wildflowers.

Commissioner Dave Campana said updating the rules at Park Cemetery has been long overdue.

“We haven’t updated the policy since 1971, so it’s well overdue,” he said. “There’s been a lot of citizen interest in this subject. We’ve been getting lots of emails and people bumping into you and saying they’re for it, so obviously a lot of people have given a lot of thought to it.”

Mayor Pro Tem Sarah Reynolds said she’s glad the commission voted in favor.

“The city of Marquette is doing something kind of cool here. I’m glad we get to be a part of it,” she said. “I’m glad we get to assist our residents with something that they are so passionate about.”

Commissioner Paul Schloegel said several undertakers and funeral directors in town have said they’re in favor of green burial sites.

“What I’m excited about is that they were excited about this option as well,” he said. “This isn’t business, this is a person’s wishes we’re dealing with here.”

Green burials are not new as most burials before the mid-19th century were conducted this way, as are many Jewish and Muslim burials today.

Park Cemetery was established as Marquette’s city-owned burial grounds in 1858. In 1872, Peter White — one of the city’s original settlers — proposed a cemetery improvement plan that focused on developing and managing a property which would act as both a “cemetery” and a “park.” Since its inception, over 13,000 individuals have been interred on the grounds, city documents state.

For more information, visit www.marquettemi.gov.