INFORMATION REGARDING AN AIR QUALITY PERMIT TO CONSTRUCT SUBMITTED BY VAUGHN GREENE FUNERAL SERVICES, PA
Background
On June 8, 2020, Vaughn Greene Funeral Services, PA (Vaughn Greene) submitted an “air quality permit to construct" application to the Maryland Department of the Environment's (MDE) Air and Radiation Administration (ARA) for the installation of a Matthews Environmental Solutions Power-Pak II Plus human crematory. The proposed installation would be located at 4905 York Road, Baltimore, Maryland 21212.
The proposed human crematory is a state permit to operate listed source of air pollution in the Code of Maryland Regulations (COMAR) 26.11.02.13A(1). In accordance with COMAR 26.11.02.11A(1)(a), expanded public participation is required for permit to construct applications subject to operating permit requirements.
The Department has reviewed the application for an air quality permit to construct and has made a tentative determination that the proposed human crematory is expected to comply with all applicable air quality regulations.
An in-person public hearing has been scheduled for
August 7, 2024 at 5:30 p.m. at the Huber Memorial Church, 5700 Loch Raven Boulevard, Baltimore, MD 21239 to provide interested parties with an opportunity to comment on the Department's tentative determination and draft permit conditions, and/or to present other pertinent concerns about the proposed installation. All elected officials are welcome to attend.
To address community concerns regarding the accuracy of air pollution emissions estimates and the methods required to ensure continuous compliance, the MDE has included the following protective measures in the draft air quality permit to construct for the proposed crematory:
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Requiring an Operations and Maintenance Plan approved by the Department. A properly operated and maintained crematory will not result in smoke, odors, or excess emissions.
- Limiting the type of human remains that can be processed in the crematory unit to only those remains owned, operated, or controlled by Vaughn Greene Funeral Services, P.A. and only human remains that have had all teeth containing mercury amalgams removed.
- Requiring the crematory be equipped with an opacity sensor that continuously monitors stack gasses for visible emissions during operation.
- Requiring an opacity observation during a cremation to assess the effectiveness of the crematory's opacity sensor and to determine when operations require adjustments to ensure compliance with applicable visible emissions standards.
- Requiring stack emissions testing to demonstrate compliance with applicable particulate matter and metal toxic air pollutant standards unless testing has been performed on identical equipment within the last five years.
By requiring stack testing or a comparable test report from an identical unit demonstrating compliance, this confirms the accuracy of the emissions estimates. No other crematory permit in Maryland at this time requires this level of testing to verify emissions.
The process is not complete. Over the next several months, the Department will review and respond to all comments before issuing a final permit. The Department's determination and the draft permit are included in Supplement B to Docket No. 09-20 linked in the Important Documents section below.
