A proposal in rural Maryland is pushing local officials into the unfamiliar territory of whether soil created through human composting can legally be used to help grow a new forest.
As the OC Today-Dispatch reported, the question sits at the crossroads of land use, conservation, and a fast-evolving funeral industry.
Here’s what to know
At the center of the request is Earth Funeral, a licensed funeral home with a human-composting operation in Elkridge. According to the publication, the company wants permission to use soil derived from composted human remains on a 14-acre agricultural parcel on Scotty Road outside Snow Hill.
Horace and Quinna Marshall own the property and have agreed to sell it to Earth Funeral if the zoning request is approved. The Worcester County Board of Zoning Appeals heard arguments over whether the proposal falls within the county’s agricultural zoning rules, according to the OC Today-Dispatch…