UNDERTAKING

Devoted dog owner Matthew McGrotty is tonight due to be told he cannot be buried with the ashes of his beloved eight-year-old pet boxer Chester — because the animal would be considered "controlled waste". It will come as a bitter disappointment to the 55-year-old who pleaded for his faithful friend to be buried with him at Sprowston Cemetery . Even the Church has failed to offer him consolation, saying that the burial of animal remains was not allowed on consecrated ground. Since Mr McGrotty, of Chenery Drive , wrote a heartfelt letter asking Sprowston Parish Council to consider his request, the authority has been exploring the legality of his plan. In a two–page special report, Alan Fairchild, clerk of the parish council, said: "It is clear from the inquiries that I have made that there must be occasions when the remains of family pets have been placed in the coffins of their owners or such ashes scattered on graves. "However, as the law currently stands, such practices cannot be condoned or officially sanctioned by parish councils no matter how sympathetic members may be towards such requests from parishioners." Mr Fairchild, who said he was also a lifelong dog owner and fully understood the strong bonds between owners and their pets, said that under the 1990 Environmental Protection Act implementing the EU directive dead domestic pets were "controlled waste" and must be disposed of accordingly. (Eastern Evening News October 8, 2003 )

The environment agency has backed down from curbing dangerous mercury commissions from crematoriums. Melted amalgam from dental fillings produces dangerous mercury gas in chimneys in crematoriums. A consultation document on mercury and dioxin omissions, yet be published but seen by the Guardian, shows that the agency has accepted the industry's case. Only new crematoriums will be made to fit mercury and dioxin filtration equipment. The industry says that some of its 243 crematoriums cannot be adapted to filtration and would have to close if pollution control is applied to win all, causing a backlog of funerals. With 74% of Britons cremated rather than buried, the largest proportion in Europe, this could rapidly become a public relations disaster. (The Guardian 7/7/01)

Castle Morpeth council officials cited the Waste Management Regulations 1994, implementing EC waste disposal directive 91/156, when they claimed that the body of an 85-year old resident of a private care home was "controlled waste". This allowed the council to avoid paying the funeral expenses that should now be paid by the care home, as the body was a by-product of its business. (S Telegraph 9/8/98)

European clean air laws were eased to allow a Country and Western enthusiast to be cremated at Bramcote, Notts, in his cowboy boots, along with his Wild West outfit. Relatives of Harold Wheeldon, 75, had been told that boots could not be left in the coffin because of the pollution risk, but crematorium staff agreed after an appeal. (Daily Telegraph 16 March 1998)

Almost all the 700 cremators in Britain's crematoria must be replaced at a cost of £80m. This is the result of the EC Environmental Protection Act. The stringent emission limits are counter productive because the higher temperatures required mean much more gas will be burned. Yet the whole of the country's cremators don't emit as much pollution as one Boeing aeroplane. Since the Act was introduced charges have been increased by one third. (FT 19/6/93). The cost of the modifications is so high, over £1m for many local authorities, that they are being forced to privatise their services. This will result in even more price rises (Indy 13/8/95)

Only coffins conforming to the EEC standard can be sold. The CEC denies this but then states that it proposes to legislate with regard to coffins and the transfer of corpses.

A small pet cemetery, 22 graves, in Banffshire has been ordered to register as a waste disposal site costing £200 to register, then £50 per year subsistence fee. This law is based on an EU Directive which in fact excludes animal carcasses but UK officials have included them in the UK law regardless (S Tele 31/7/94).