<span style="font-weight: bold; font-family: ‘Lucida Sans’;" class="R~sep~ACopyBody">Is it legal for crematoriums to cremate more than one body at a time?</span>

<span class="R~sep~ACopyBody">“The simultaneous cremation of the human remains of more than one adult person within the same cremation retort is prohibited. …,” reads Louisiana R.S. 37:879.</span>

<span class="R~sep~ACopyBody">“The simultaneous cremation of the human remains of one adult and one or more children shall not be performed, unless the crematory authority has received specific written authorization from all authorizing agents for the human remains to be so cremated.”</span>

<span class="R~sep~ACopyBody">The statute says crematory workers must remove “all of the recoverable residue of the cremation process” from the retort and sift it for bone fragments, which must then be reduced to “unidentifiable particles” through further processing.</span>

<span class="R~sep~ACopyBody">“Anything other than the unidentifiable particles shall be removed from the cremated residuals and shall be properly disposed of by the crematory authority, unless otherwise directed by the authorizing agent,” reads the law.</span>

<span class="R~sep~ACopyBody">Other provisions in the statute:</span>

<span class="R~sep~ACopyListing">“If proper authorization has been obtained … the properly identified cremated human remains shall be placed within the temporary container or urn ordered by the authorizing agent. The temporary container or urn contents shall be packaged in clean packing materials and shall not be contaminated with any other object, unless specific authorization has been received from the authorizing agent.”</span>

<span class="R~sep~ACopyListing">“When a temporary container is used to return the cremated human remains, the outside of the container shall be clearly identified with the name of the deceased person whose cremated human remains are contained therein, the name of the crematory authority, and an indication the container is a temporary container.”</span>

<span class="R~sep~ACopyListing">“If the cremated human remains will not fit within the dimensions of a temporary container or urn, the remainder of the cremated human remains shall be returned to the authorizing agent or his representative in a separate container attached together with the first container or urn with both being marked as being together.”</span>

<span class="R~sep~ACopyListing">“If the cremated human remains are to be shipped, the temporary container or designated receptacle ordered by the authorizing agent shall be packed securely in a suitable, sturdy, and pressure resistant container which is not fragile and is secured properly. Cremated human remains shall be shipped by a shipper who agrees to ship cremated remains and only by a method which has an internal tracing system available and which provides a receipt signed by the person accepting delivery.”</span>

<span class="R~sep~ACopyBody">Funeral homes and crematories are regulated by the Louisiana State Board of Embalmers and Funeral Directors, which accepts and investigates consumer complaints. For more information, call the board at 888-508-9083.</span>

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<span style="font-weight: bold;" class="R~sep~ACopyEditors~sep~endnote">Online:</span> <span class="R~sep~ACopyEditors~sep~endnote">www.legis.la.gov; www.lsbefd.state.la.us.</span>

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<span style="font-size: 8pt;" class="R~sep~ACopyEditors~sep~endnote">The I</span><span style="font-size: 8pt;" class="R~sep~ACopyEditors~sep~endnote">nform</span><span style="font-size: 8pt;" class="R~sep~ACopyEditors~sep~endnote">er answers questions from rea</span><span style="font-size: 8pt;" class="R~sep~ACopyEditors~sep~endnote">ders each Sunday, Monday a</span><span style="font-size: 8pt;" class="R~sep~ACopyEditors~sep~endnote">nd Wednesday. It is re</span><span style="font-size: 8pt;" class="R~sep~ACopyEditors~sep~endnote">searched and written by</span> <span style="font-weight: bold; font-size: 8pt;" class="R~sep~ACopyEditors~sep~endnote">Andrew Perzo</span><span style="font-size: 8pt;" class="R~sep~ACopyEditors~sep~endnote">, an</span> <span style="font-style: italic; font-size: 8pt;" class="R~sep~ACopyEditors~sep~endnote">American Press</span> <span style="font-size: 8pt;" class="R~sep~ACopyEditors~sep~endnote">staff wri</span><span style="font-size: 8pt;" class="R~sep~ACopyEditors~sep~endnote">ter. To ask a question, call</span> <span style="font-size: 8pt;" class="R~sep~ACopyEditors~sep~endnote">494-409</span><span style="font-size: 8pt;" class="R~sep~ACopyEditors~sep~endnote">8 and leave voice mail, or ema</span><span style="font-size: 8pt;" class="R~sep~ACopyEditors~sep~endnote">il informer@americanpress.com.</span>