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Bell Gardens Lawmaker Introduces Bill To Allow For Composting Of Human Remains

BELL GARDENS (CBSLA) — A lawmaker from Bell Gardens has introduced a bill to allow for human composting, citing it as a environmentally friendly alternative to burial or cremation.

Assemblymember Cristina Garcia on Tuesday introduced Assembly Bill 2592, permitting "reduction of human remains," a process of converting remains to soil, statewide.

The approach, also known as natural organic reduction, or NOR, "involves placing bodies in individual vessels and fostering gentle transformation into a nutrient-dense soil that can then be returned to families or donated to conservation land," describes a press release issued by Garcia's office.

"The result is a completely safe and economical method of final disposition that offers additional choice for people to direct their final wishes," the assemblywoman's office claims. According to Garcia, the NOR process saves the equivalent of one metric ton of carbon from entering the environment for each individual.

"With climate change and sea-level rise as very real threats to our environment, this is an alternative method of final disposition that won't contribute emissions into our atmosphere," Garcia stated.

"Trees are important carbon breaks for the environment," she continued. "They are the best filters for air quality and if more people participate in organic reduction and tree-planting, we can help with California's carbon footprint. I look forward to continuing my legacy to fight for clean air by using my reduced remains to plant a tree."

The full text of Assembly Bill 2592 is available here.

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