Portsmouth Herald Local News: Crematorium report glowingArchivesBusiness Entertainment Health Living Maine News Online Only Public Records Sports Tourism Travel Shop the Coast: Cars Classifieds Dating Dining Golf Jobs Lodging Real Estate Yellow Pages Portsmouth Herald - Hampton Union - Exeter News-Letter - Dover Community News - Rockingham News - York County Coast Star - The York Weekly Tue. March 22, 2005 Advertise - Contact Info - Email Headlines - Home Delivery Specials - Place a Classified Ad - Submit Announcements - Site Map Herald Today's News Back Issues Herald Records Birth Notices Editorials Honor Rolls Obituaries Milestones Police Logs Quick Clicks Churches Club Listings Concerts Crossword Event Calendar Exhibits Legals Lottery Mortgage Rates Movie Times Site Search Theatre TV Times Weather Marketplaces Cars Classifieds Dating Dining Golf Jobs Lodging Real Estate Skiing Yellow Pages Sections Business Entertainment Health Living Maine News Online Only Public Records Sports Tourism Travel Print this Story Email this Article Crematorium report glowing By Beth LaMontagne blamontagne@seacoastonline.com CONCORD - New Hampshire crematoriums are operated by "vigilant, ethical, caring professionals," according to a preliminary report released Monday by the state medical director. Michael Kassler, also head of the governor’s Crematorium Task Group, issued a press release announcing that all known crematoriums in New Hampshire have been inspected by a team of state officials. The task group found no evidence of health concerns or commingled cremains and stated that New Hampshire crematoriums have "stringent protocols in place for identifying, labeling and (the) return of cremains." "In no instance did the team discover unidentified human cremations," the report stated. "This report is a vote of confidence for the crematories of New Hampshire," said Kassler in the press release. "The facilities we inspected were well run, responsible and safe. The industry has done a good job in keeping high standards in these crematories." Kassler was asked to lead the Crematorium Task Group by Gov. John Lynch shortly after the discovery of a woman’s decomposing body and unmarked urns filled with ashes at the Bayview Crematory in Seabrook last month. Due to the ongoing investigation by the Rockingham County Attorney’s Office, however, Bayview was not inspected. The preliminary findings of the task group were submitted by Assistant Deputy Medical Examiner Hal Brown, who was first called to the scene after the human remains were found at Bayview. The report found that crematorium operators follow specific rules and procedures, "albeit typically self-generated rules." They also adhere to guidelines set by the funeral industry, the Cremation Association of North America or the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. Crematorium operators are open to statewide regulation, licensing and annual reinspection, the report stated. The only problem found was regarding paperwork processing. Although there are some irregularities, Brown claimed they were not the error of the crematorium operators, but the result of a system "lacking clear protocols or lines of communication." All irregularities were immediately addressed and have been resolved, the report stated. Brown concluded the group’s findings by recommending approval of all inspected crematoriums for operation. "We are working on recommendations to strengthen this industry and give confidence to the families who have lost a loved one," said Kassler. "We will submit a report to the governor with our recommendations soon." Print this Story Email this Article Back to the Portsmouth Herald Portsmouth Herald Home Delivery for 50% Off Seacoast Online is owned and operated by Seacoast Newspapers. Copyright © 2005 Seacoast Online. All rights reserved. Please read our Copyright Notice and Terms of Use. Seacoast Newspapers is a subsidiary of Ottaway Newspapers, Inc., a Dow Jones Company. Featured Jobs Sponsored Links Fundraisers & Fundraising Ideas Buy U2 Tickets New York Vioxx Search Engine Marketing Discount Vacations The North Face Gourmet Gift Baskets Dell Coupons N.H. Seacoast MLS Search Julie Dufault Seacoast Realtor