Jackson funeral home gets nod to build crematorium

With little opposition and a unanimous vote from the Jackson Board of Aldermen, McCombs Funeral Home in Jackson on Monday was granted permission to build a crematorium.

The new facility, which needs a air pollution permit from the Missouri Department of Natural Resources, would be the only funeral-home operated crematorium in Cape Girardeau County. Wilbert Vault Co., a supplier of funeral vaults, operates a crematorium at its facility off East Jackson Boulevard.

The board granted McCombs a special-use permit for the crematorium.

The new facility would be built about 100 feet behind McCombs' existing funeral home at 640 W. Independence St., owner Bruce Dockins told the board.

Dockins told the board the crematorium would be a place where families could say goodbye to a loved one in a private room equipped with windows so they could watch the cremation process, if they chose.

"We are there to serve the public to the best of our ability," Dockins said.

Six Jackson residents spoke in favor of the idea. Most said they had either used McCombs for funeral services, were friends with the Dockinses, or both.

A modern crematorium does not pose the same kind of pollution, smell or other issues that older facilities present, said Bob Adams, who spoke in support of the proposal. In the past, crematoria were placed "in industrial areas, out of sight," he said. "Today they are in much more visible locations, they are much more accessible."

The only opponent, and he said his opposition was soft, was Gary Hartle, who urged the aldermen to be careful. While he agrees there is a need, Hartle said he had been unable to find EPA or Missouri Department of Natural Resources standards specific to crematoria.

There will be emissions, Hartle said. "Make the right decision for the city of Jackson, and that includes everybody, not just one group," he said.

Crematoria are regulated as incinerators the Missouri Air Conservation Commission. A permit setting emission limits is issued based on the type of cremation oven used. Ovens are tested either by the DNR or agencies in other states to determine how well they perform.

The permit process with the state is just beginning, Dockins said. He could not apply until he had been granted permission to build the cremation center by the aldermen, he said.

If a permit is granted, Dockins said he expects to have construction completed sometime late next year.

rkeller@semissourian.com

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