InfoSub - Burial at Sea

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InfoSheet SubPage - Burial at Sea

Ocean Grove Memorial Home
118 Main Avenue, Ocean Grove, New Jersey 07756

Thomas J. Saragusa, Manager
N. J. License No. 4036

VOICE 732-775-0434 - - OGMHognj@aol.com

Burial at Sea

"Harry always wanted to be buried at sea. He loved the ocean and made me promise to have him buried at sea. He said it would be cheaper too. You know......no grave, no opening charge, no vault, just a boat ride out three miles."

Can it be done legally?

Who will do it?

Whose permission do you need?

What type of container should be used?

How do you weight the container?

How far out to sea do you have to go?

Whom do you have to notify?

Can the family go?

How much will it cost?

Part One

UNITED STATES NAVY BURIAL AT SEA PROGRAM
(Current 29 March 2006)

BURIAL AT SEA (BAS) is a means of final disposition of remains, that is performed on United States Naval vessels. The committal ceremony is performed while the ship is deployed, therefore, family members are not allowed to be present. The commanding officer of the ship assigned to perform the ceremony will make notification to the family of the date, time, latitude and longitude, once the committal service has been completed.

ELIGIBILITY: Individuals eligible for this program are: (1) active duty members of the uniformed services; (2) retirees and veterans who were honorably discharged. (3) U.S. civilian marine personnel of the Military Sealift Command; and (4) dependent family members of active duty personnel, retirees, and veterans of the uniformed services.

HOW TO GET STARTED: After the death of the individual, for whom the request for BAS is being made, the Person Authorized to Direct Disposition (PADD) will complete the enclosed BAS request/authorization form and ensure all required documentation is included. Documents which must accompany the request: (1) a photocopy of the death certificate; (2) the burial transit permit or the cremation certificate; and (3) a copy of the DD Form 214, discharge certificate, or retirement order.

CREMATED REMAINS (Cremains): Cremains must be in an urn, may be temporary (plastic/metal/cardboard) container to prevent spillage in shipping. The cremains, along with the completed BAS package, and the burial flag will be forwarded to the Burial-at-Sea Coordinator at the desired port of embarkation (listed below). Prior to shipment, it is recommended that a phone call be made informing the coordinator of the pending request. It is recommended that the packaged cremains be sent via certified mail, return receipt requested.

INTACT REMAINS (Casketed remains): Specific guidelines are required for the preparation of casketed remains to be buried at sea. Remains must be in a metal casket. All expenses incurred in this process are the responsibility of the PADD, who will select a funeral home in the area of the port of embarkation. Remains are not forwarded to the receiving funeral home until the coordinator is notified a ship has been assigned and an embarkation date is anticipated. The coordinator will advise regarding shipment to the receiving funeral home to allow sufficient time for casket preparation. The casketed remains, the request form, supporting documents, and the burial flag are to be forwarded to the receiving funeral home. Once the receiving funeral home has the casket prepared, the coordinator will make the inspection and complete the checklist for the preparation of casketed remains. It is recommended that funeral homes responsible for preparing and shipping intact remains, contact Navy Mortuary Affairs at the Military Medical Support Office in Great Lakes, Illinois to receive the preparation requirements. NOTE: Norfolk and San Diego are the only ports for embarkation of intact remains.

BURIAL FLAG: A Burial Flag, is required for all committal services performed aboard United States Naval vessels, with the exception of family members who are not authorized a burial flag. The PADD may wish to send a flag with the remains/cremains to be flown on the vessel during the committal service. Following the services at sea, that flag will be returned to the PADD. If the PADD does not wish to send a burial flag, the ship’s flag will be flown during the committal service, but no flag will be forwarded to the family.

PORTS OF EMBARKATION / COORDINATORS

NORFOLK, VA Casket and Cremated remains accepted
Commander
Naval Medical Center
ATTN: Code 0210C
620 John Paul Jones Cir.
Portsmouth, VA 23708-5100
Phone: (757) 953-2617/2618

JACKSONVILLE, FL Cremated remains only
Branch Medical Clinic
P. O. Box 280148
Naval Station
Mayport, FL 32228-0148
Phone: (904) 270-4285

CORPUS CHRISTI, TX Cremated remains only
Commanding Officer
Naval Hospital
ATTN: Code 0104
10651 “E” Street
Corpus Christi, TX
Phone: (361) 961-2256

SAN DIEGO, CA Casket and Cremated remains accepted
Naval Medical Center
Decedent Affairs Code: BUB
34800 Bob Wilson Drive
San Diego, CA 92134-5000
Phone: (800) 290-7410

BREMERTON, WA Cremated remains only
Commanding Officer
Naval Hospital Bremerton
Code: 015-BAS/HP01 Boone Road
Bremerton, WA 98312-1898
Phone: (360) 475-4392

HONOLULU, HI Cremated remains only
Navy Liaison Unit
Tripler Army Medical Center
Tripler AMC, HI 96859-5000
Phone: (808) 577-7590

If you have questions about the Naval Burial-At-Sea program, please feel free to contact the Navy Mortuary Affairs Office toll-free at 1-888-647-6676, and follow the voice menu.

The form, BURIAL AT SEA REQUEST / AUTHORIZATION FORM (Current 29 March 2006), is not reproducable here but can be mailed or e-mailed as a MSWord document to interested parties who contact the Navy Mortuary Affairs Officer (above).

GUIDELINES FOR CASKET PREPARATION:
(These preparations can be accomplished by the funeral home in the area of the port of embarkation...Norfolk, VA or San Diego, CA.)
WEIGHTING
Add 150 lbs. of weight to the foot-end of the casket to ensure “feet first” sinking. Sandbags are best. However if lead weights are used, secure them to the inside of the casket to avoid them shifting and causing excessive noise.
BANDING
The casket is to be banded with a minimum of six (6) nylon or metal bands. The bands are to be placed: two around the head panel; two around the foot panel; one lengthwise, head-to-foot; and one horizontally around the sides. NOTE: Ensure bands are placed under the casket handles to allow continued use of handles.

For more information, please reference the US NAVY website, www.navy.mil
or contact:

HM1(SW/AW) Ronald W. Rivenburgh
LPO, Military Medical Support Office
Mortuary Affairs
Toll Free: 888-647-6676, EXT 6629
847-688-3950, EXT 6629
847-688-3964, FAX
792-3950, DSN

Part Two

If the decedent is not eligible for burial at sea by the U. S. Government, private means may be utilized.

The permission granting authority is the:

U. S. Environmental Protection Agency
26 Federal Plaza
New York, N. Y. 10007
212-264-9897

Apparently individual applications are not necessary. Anyone, including "Owners of watercraft or airplanes registered in the United States or flying the U. S. Flag are hereby granted a general permit" to leave the United States with human remains for the purpose of burial at sea" (by authority of Volume 40, Part 229.1, page 2489, as published in the Federal Register on January 11, 1977). The following conditions must be met:

1) Disposition must be no closer to "land" than three nautical miles and in water no shallower than 600 feet (1800 feet in certain locations off the coast of Florida). For the purpose of this permit, the term "land" means headland to headland, i.e., as from Sandy Hook to the Rockaways, L. I., N. Y. and as from Cape May to Delaware's eastern coastline - disposition three miles off Staten Island wouldn't be permissible even if the water was 600 feet deep.

2) All necessary measures must be taken to ensure that the remains sink to the bottom rapidly and permanently. (See the preparations listed above.)

3) Flowers and wreaths may be disposed of under the same general permit as long as everything is decomposable. No plastic flowers or backing may be scattered.

4) The burials conducted under this general permit must be reported in detail within 30 days to the Regional Administrator of the region from whick the vessel carrying the remains departed. (See address above. The burial permit should be taken to the place of disposition, then returned and included in the report to the E.P.A.)

Regarding burials at sea off New Jersey, the continental shelf extends from 50 - 80 miles off shore. It is only after you go this far that you find water over 600 feet deep. Methods include air transportation or by chartering a boat. (Passengers, or at least a witness, would normally be allowed to accompany the remains on a private or chartered boat).

Part Three

"....the cremated remains? My friend, Clara, said that you scattered her husband's ashes from one of the jettys. I'd like you to do that with Harry's ashes too."

If you scatter ashes from a local jetty, you break Federal Law. The Environment Protection Agency requires in Volume 40, Part 229, page 2489, that "cremated remains shall be buried in or on ocean waters without regard to the depth limitations (as specified above) provided that such burial shall take place no closer than three nautical miles from land." Additionally, as for burials of uncremated remains, a detailed report shall be made "within 30 days to the Regional Administrator of the region from which the vessel carrying the remains departed." Decomposable flowers may be scattered at the same time.

If you want cremated remains scattered from a U. S. Naval vessel, contact the District Medical Office for your location and they will specify the requirements. Basically, they are a letter of authorization by the "Primary Next-of-Kin", a certified copy of the death certificate and the cremation certificate to accompany the cremated remains to the assigned location.

In addition to the Navy, the U. S. Coast Guard:

Chief of Personnel Services
Third Coast Guard District
Governor's Island
New York, N. Y. 10004
212-264-4972

will perform this service. Contact them for requirements which are basically the same as outlined above. The Coast Guard will not arrange for the burial at sea of uncremated remains (unless the deceased was actively on Coast Guard duty or was a retired Coast Guard Officer. Requirements are somewhat obscure but are probably the same as for the Navy.)

Private or charter boat captains may be contacted to provide this service. Fees may range from $150.00 to $550.00 per container of cremated remains.

The Ocean Grove Memorial Home has had experience with arranging for the scattering of cremated remains and knows of resources to assist with full-body burial at sea. Please don't hesitate to contact us for information.

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