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Alkaline hydrolysis has become a popular method of disposing of both human and pet remains. It has become an alternative to traditional burial and cremation. This is a cremation method that uses lye and heat to dispose of the body. It is based on the principle of alkaline hydrolysis.
Using this method, the body is placed in a vessel that has a tremendous amount of pressure. Then, it is heated to a temperature of about 160 degrees C, or 320 F, at that high pressure. The goal of the pressure is to prevent the body from boiling. The entire process takes between four and six hours to complete. If the temperature is reduced, the process will take a few extra hours. The mixture is very acidic, and it is used to dissolve the body. The more fat there is, the longer the process will take.
For a long time, cremation has been discouraged among a lot of religious groups, including Christianity. Islam forbids cremation as well, and there are some subsets of Judaism that discourage cremation and alkaline hydrolysis.
Given that alkaline hydrolysis is seen as a subset of cremation, it is also largely discouraged. A lot of people believe that it desecrates the body, so a lot of religious leaders will encourage someone to get buried instead. The problem with burial is that there is not always land available, so it can be very expensive for someone to be buried.
This is largely an issue that is handled on a state-by-state basis. The only state that has made alkaline hydrolysis explicitly illegal is New Hampshire, although it was legal in the state from 2006-2008.
Several states— Kentucky, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Texas, and Wisconsin— have legislation pending to decide on the legality of alkaline hydrolysis.
Although alkaline hydrolysis is legal in Idaho, Kansas, Maryland, and Vermont, there are no active practitioners. This means that there is no one to perform the process.
Other states have made alkaline hydrolysis legal and have practitioners, including Alabama, California, Connecticut, Florida, Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, North Carolina, Oregon, Utah, and Washington. The process is also legal in Arizona, Colorado, Georgia, Hawaii, Maine, Missouri, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia.
If you are located in one of these states, then alkaline hydrolysis is an option for you, but you need to think about all of the options available before you decide to go with alkaline hydrolysis as a burial option. There is legislation in other states for alkaline hydrolysis.
While alkaline hydrolysis is not necessarily considered popular, it has become more popular during the past few years. A lot of people do not like what cremation does to the environment, but they do not want to get buried either, as land is hard to come by. One possible option is alkaline hydrolysis.
While it is not universally accepted across the U.S., there is a possibility that alkaline hydrolysis will become more popular in the future. It is critical for people to consider all of the options to them, and as more states open the doors to alkaline hydrolysis, expect to see this as a more common treatment option in the near future.
State | Legality | Notes | Further Details |
---|---|---|---|
Alabama | Legal | Legal and available | Alkaline hydrolysis was legalized in Alabama in 2017 when the statute added alkaline hydrolysis to its definition of cremation. |
Alaska | No legislation | No legislation | There is currently no legislation or regulations for alkaline hydrolysis in Alaska. |
Arizona | Legal | Legal | |
Arkansas | No legislation | No legislation | There is currently no legislation or regulations for alkaline hydrolysis in Arkansas. |
California | Legal | Legal and available | Alkaline hydrolysis was legalized in 2017 in California, and the law went into effect in 2020 (Section 7611.9 of the California Business and Professions Code). |
Colorado | Legal | Legal without explicit statute | Alkaline hydrolysis was legalized in 2011 in Colorado when the state changed the definition of cremation (Colorado Statutes § 12-54-102.) |
Connecticut | Legal | Legal and available | Alkaline hydrolysis is legal in Connecticut, as seen in the Substitute Senate Bill No. 142. It is available in some funeral homes. |
Delaware | No legislation | No legislation | There is currently no legislation or regulations for alkaline hydrolysis in Delaware. |
District of Columbia | No legislation | No legislation | There is currently no legislation or regulations for alkaline hydrolysis in Washington D.C. |
Florida | Legal | Legal and available | Florida was one of the first states to legalize alkaline hydrolysis by gradually expanding its definition of “cremation” to include methods not pertaining to incineration (Florida Statutes § 497.005.). |
Georgia | Legal | Legal without explicit statute | Alkaline hydrolysis was legalized in 2012 in Georgia when they changed the state’s definition of cremation (Ga. Code Ann. 43-18-1.). However, not many funeral homes still offer aquamation. |
Hawaii | Legal | Legal | Legal as of July 2022 – HB 1894 signed into law. State Gov. David Y. Ige passed legislation and made Akaline Hydrolysis legal in Hawaii. |
Idaho | Legal | Legal but not available | Although alkaline hydrolysis was legalized in Idaho in 2014, when the Senate Commerce & Human Resources Committee amended the Rules of the State Board of Morticians, no funeral homes currently offer aquamation. |
Illinois | Legal | Legal and available | Alkaline hydrolysis was legalized in 2012 in Illinois when they changed the state’s definition of cremation to include the process (See 410 ILCS § 18/5.). Several funeral homes now offer aquamation. |
Indiana | No legislation | No legislation | There is currently no legislation or regulations for alkaline hydrolysis in Indiana. |
Iowa | No legislation | No legislation | There is currently no legislation or regulations for alkaline hydrolysis in Iowa. |
Kansas | Legal | Legal but not available | Alkaline hydrolysis was legalized in Kansas in 2011 when the state expanded its definition of cremation to include other methods than just “direct exposure to intense heat and flame” (Kansas Statutes § 65-1760.). No funeral homes in Kansas currently offer aquamation. However, it is offered in Kansas City, Missouri. |
Kentucky | No legislation | Legislation pending | There is currently no legislation or regulations for alkaline hydrolysis in Kentucky. |
Louisiana | No legislation | No legislation | There is currently no legislation or regulations for alkaline hydrolysis in Louisiana. |
Maine | Legal | Legal without explicit statute | Alkaline hydrolysis was legalized in Maine in 2009 when the Attorney General approved a new definition of cremation in the Maine Rules for Establishment and Operation of Crematoria. There is currently one facility in Maine that offers aquamation services to funeral homes throughout the state. |
Maryland | Legal | Legal but not available | Alkaline hydrolysis was legalized in Maryland in 2010 when the state changed the definition of cremation to include processes other than heat and flame (Maryland Business Regulation Code § 5-101.). However, there is currently no facility in Maryland offering the process for human remains. |
Massachusetts | No legislation | Legislation pending | There is currently no legislation or regulations for alkaline hydrolysis in Massachusetts. |
Michigan | Legal | Legal and available | Alkaline hydrolysis appears to be offered by some funeral homes in Michigan. |
Minnesota | Legal | Legal and available | Alkaline hydrolysis was legalized in Minnesota in 2003 when the process was given licensing regulations and requirements. Several funeral homes currently offer aquamation in Minnesota. |
Mississippi | No legislation | No legislation | There is currently no legislation or regulations for alkaline hydrolysis in Mississippi. |
Missouri | Legal | Legal without explicit statute | There are no laws/ statutes explicitly allowing alkaline hydrolysis in Missouri. However, the process is considered a legal final disposition method as it falls within the state’s definition of “cremation” (See 20 CSR 2120-2.071). Several funeral homes offer aquamation in Missouri. |
Montana | No legislation | No legislation | There is currently no legislation or regulations for alkaline hydrolysis in Montana. |
Nebraska | No legislation | No legislation | There is currently no legislation or regulations for alkaline hydrolysis in Nebraska. |
Nevada | Legal | Legal and available | Alkaline hydrolysis was legalized in Nevada in 2017 when Assembly Bill 205 was passed, which included a specific definition of alkaline hydrolysis. Several funeral homes offer aquamation in Nevada. |
New Hampshire | Illegal | Formerly legal (2006-2008) | Alkaline hydrolysis was legalized in New Hampshire in 2006 before being repealed in 2008. There was an effort to pass a new bill in 2013, but this failed. One funeral home in Jaffrey currently works with a facility in Maine and sends human remains there to be legally processed. |
New Jersey | No legislation | No legislation | There is currently no legislation or regulations for alkaline hydrolysis in New Jersey. |
New Mexico | No legislation | No legislation | There is currently no legislation or regulations for alkaline hydrolysis in New Mexico. |
New York | No legislation | No legislation | There is currently no legislation or regulations for alkaline hydrolysis in New York. |
North Carolina | Legal | Legal and available | Alkaline hydrolysis was legalized in North Carolina in 2018 when N.C. Gen. Stat. § 90-210.136 came into effect. |
North Dakota | Legal | Legal | |
Ohio | No legislation | No legislation | There is currently no legislation or regulations for alkaline hydrolysis in Ohio. |
Oklahoma | Legal | Legal | First location started offering aquamation in 2022. |
Oregon | Legal | Legal and available | Alkaline hydrolysis was legalized in Oregon in 2009 when the state changed its definition of “final disposition” to include the dissolution of human remains (Oregon Revised Statutes § 692.010(4).) Aquamation is regulated by the state’s Mortuary and Cemetery Board, and several funeral homes currently offer aquamation in Oregon. |
Pennsylvania | No legislation | Legislation pending | There is currently no legislation or regulations for alkaline hydrolysis in Pennsylvania. |
Rhode Island | No legislation | No legislation | There is currently no legislation or regulations for alkaline hydrolysis in Rhode Island. |
South Carolina | No legislation | No legislation | There is currently no legislation or regulations for alkaline hydrolysis in South Carolina. |
South Dakota | No legislation | Legislation pending | There is currently no legislation or regulations for alkaline hydrolysis in South Dakota. |
Tennessee | Legal | Legal | |
Texas | No legislation | Legislation pending | There is currently no legislation or regulations for alkaline hydrolysis in Texas. |
Utah | Legal | Legal and available | Utah passed a bill specifically allowing alkaline hydrolysis in 2018. Utah Aquamation in Tooele is currently the only facility offering alkaline hydrolysis and works with funeral homes in Utah to provide the service. |
Vermont | Legal | Legal but not available | Alkaline hydrolysis was legalized in Vermont in 2014 (26 V.S.A. 21 § 1211). To perform the process, individuals must obtain a license from the state and are thus subject to rules by the state licensing board. However, there are currently no funeral homes offering aquamation in Vermont. |
Virginia | Legal | Legal | |
Washington | Legal | Legal and available | Alkaline hydrolysis was legalized in Washington in 2020 when the state passed a law allowing for it (See RCW 68.50.110). It is currently available in Seattle for both humans and pets. |
West Virginia | Legal | Legal | |
Wisconsin | No legislation | Legislation pending | There is currently no legislation or regulations for alkaline hydrolysis in Wisconsin. |
Wyoming | Legal | Legal but not available | Wyoming changed the Funeral Services Practitioners Act in 2014 to include “chemical disposition” (Wyoming Statutes § 33-16-502.) However, there is currently no facility offering the process for human remains in Wyoming. |