Earlier this month, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) National Cemetery Administration (NCA) announced it is now piloting interments in green burial sections at three VA national cemeteries, to include The National Memorial Cemetery of Arizona. This pilot provides Veterans interment options that minimize environmental impact.
The pilot is now underway. Families seeking to inter their loved ones in the new green burial section at The National Memorial Cemetery of Arizona can begin scheduling immediately.
NCA will accept both cremated and intact remains for interment in green burial sections, which were established through Public Law (P.L.) 117-355, the National Cemeteries Preservation and Protection Act of 2022.
The law provides that remains interred in a green burial section must be prepared for burial in a manner that does not involve chemicals or embalming fluids and must be buried in a biodegradable casket or urn, or are otherwise interred in a natural manner, such as securely wrapped in a biodegradable shroud.
For your reference, we have attached a guidance document prepared by NCA for the presentation and handling of non-casketed remains at VA national cemeteries. This includes a requirement that intact remains which are not casketed be secured in a closed air tray when they are presented to us for interment.
VA has also published information about our green burial section pilot online, to include Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ), athttps://www.cem.va.gov/green-burial/index.asp. We encourage you to review the FAQ and to share this link with your clients who may be interested in choosing interment in our new green burial section at.
As a reminder, while green burial sections are new, NCA has always accepted remains that are prepared naturally and/or presented in a biodegradable container for burial in VA national cemeteries in an established non-green burial section. We will continue to offer that option here at The National Memorial Cemetery of Arizona as well.
For more information about the start of our green burial section pilot, please contact Randy Heard, Director, at 480-513-3600 or Randy.Heard@va.gov.