Maine Death Care: Unusual Name, Useful Site.

There is an old saying that only two things are certain in life: death and taxes. Since there are many political and financial web sites that are devoted to the subject of taxes, we won't dwell on them at this site.

Maine Death Care is a site where news, information, and opinion regarding the death care industry in Maine is collected into one location. We have information on funeral practices, burials and cremations, and related issues. We also provide contact information for the various governmental agencies which regulate the death care industry in Maine.

We are hopeful that this web site will fulfill a need for a centralized repository of information from a variety of disparate sources, into one easy to navigate site. We have gathered this information from a variety of sources, and to the best of our knowledge, it is accurate and current.

What's New?

03/26/12 Maine's first resomation facility opens

Bangor Daily News: A Searsport crematory is using a new method that liquefies human bodies rather than burning them to ashes. Since the arrival of the alkaline hydrolysis machine on Tuesday, the Maine Coast Crematory in Searsport already has processed several bodies, according to the company's owner, Mark Riposta, and he has a waiting list to process more. His is the only working alkaline hydrolysis machine in the country processing bodies for the general public, he said. Read the whole article.

03/13/12 Legislative Update

LD 1630 "Resolve, To Establish a Stakeholder Group for the Development of a Plan for the Inventory and Proper Care of Veterans' Graves".

Last House Action 3/12/2012 - FINALLY PASSED.

Sent for concurrence. ORDERED SENT FORTHWITH.

Last Senate Action 3/13/2012 - FINALLY PASSED, in concurrence.

03/06/12 Legislative Update

LD 1630 "Resolve, To Establish a Stakeholder Group for the Development of a Plan for the Inventory and Proper Care of Veterans' Graves".

Committee on Bills in the Second Reading reports no further verbal amendments necessary, Senator Rosen, Senate Chair. Report accepted. READ A SECOND TIME and PASSED TO BE ENGROSSED AS AMENDED by Committee Amendment (S-403), which requires the Department of Defense, Veterans and Emergency Management, Bureau of Maine Veterans' Services to invite participation from genealogy groups and the Maine Cemetery Association in the stakeholder group to develop a plan for the inventory and proper care of veterans' graves. The amendment specifies that the stakeholder group is not required to consider private cemeteries in its plan unless the cemeteries are considered ancient burying grounds. Finally, the amendment requires the Bureau of Maine Veterans' Services to report the stakeholder group's findings and recommendations and any suggested legislation to the joint standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over state and local government matters in addition to the joint standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over veterans matters as specified in the resolve. Ordered sent down forthwith for concurrence 03/01/12.

LD 1716, "An Act To Require Funds for Prearranged Funerals To Be Invested Subject to the Requirements of the Maine Uniform Prudent Investor Act and To Update Related Provisions." Pursuant to Joint Rule 310.3 placed in Legislative files (dead) on 02/21/12.

LD 1717, "An Act To Establish a Preneed Life Insurance Producer License and Preneed Life Insurance Product for Prearranged Funeral Plans". Pursuant to Joint Rule 310.3 placed in Legislative files (dead) on 02/21/12.

LD 1719 "An Act To Update the Powers and Duties of the Bureau of Maine Veterans' Services". No change.

02/17/12 Thomaston cemetery sexton tracks down stolen cannonballs

Selectman Peter Lammert is a jack of all trades for the town of Thomaston. This week, he added detective to his resume as he helped track down five cannonballs that had been stolen the previous week from a more than 100-year-old Civil War monument. Read the article in the Bangor Daily News.

02/06/11 Legislative Update

LD 1630 "Resolve, To Establish a Stakeholder Group for the Development of a Plan for the Inventory and Proper Care of Veterans' Graves". Received by the Secretary of the Senate on December 16, 2011 and referred to the Committee on VETERANS AND LEGAL AFFAIRS pursuant to Joint Rule 308.2 on 01/04/2012.

LD 1719 "An Act To Update the Powers and Duties of the Bureau of Maine Veterans' Services". Received by the Secretary of the Senate on December 23, 2011 and referred to the Committee on VETERANS AND LEGAL AFFAIRS pursuant to Joint Rule 308.2 on 01/04/2012.

Two other bills which would address prearranged funeral plans have yet to be acted upon: LD 1717, An Act To Establish a Preneed Life Insurance Producer License and Preneed Life Insurance Product for Prearranged Funeral Plans and LD 1716, An Act To Require Funds for Prearranged Funerals To Be Invested Subject to the Requirements of the Maine Uniform Prudent Investor Act and To Update Related Provisions.

01/18/12 Department of Environmental Protection Proposes General Permit

The Maine Department of Environmental Protection has published notice of a public hearing for rules which would establish a general permit program for Class IV-A Human Crematory Incinerators and Veterinary Incinerators that are subject to Federal New Source Performance Standards (NSPS) and National Emissions Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants (NESHAPS) and those subject to State Regulations. The hearing will be held February 17, 2012 at the MDEP Response Building, 4 Blossom Lane, Augusta. Learn more about Chapter 165.

01/17/12 Bodies Piling Up At Cook County (IL) Morgue

To the disgust of some staff, bodies are piling up at the office of the Cook County Medical Examiner, stacked atop each other in blue plastic tarps against a wall of the storage cooler because of ongoing financial woes, the (Chicago) Sun-Times has learned. All the storage trays are full, and many have a second body on them, according to sources in the office. Some 400 adults and about 100 babies are currently being kept in the cooler designed for under 300, one source said. Read the article.

01/13/12 U.S. President and Maine Governor Have Cenotaphs in D.C.

U.S. President John Quincy Adams and Maine Gov. John Fairfield have something in common. Adams, who died in 1848, and Fairfield, who died in 1847, both have gravestones in a cemetery at 1801 E St., Southeast, in Washington, D.C. But neither is buried there. Read more at Bangor Daily News.

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