A proposed Muslim cemetery in Pine Valley, California, is sparking local unrest as concerns arise about water contamination from decomposing bodies.
Pine Valley, a small rural town 45 minutes east of San Diego, has a population of 1,646, according to the recent United States Census. a circulating petition The opposition has as many signatures as there are people living in the city.
SD Crescentwood Cemetery, the nonprofit advocating for the project, proposes that the cemetery be located on 37 acres of virgin land between Interstate 8 and Old Highway 80.
Residents’ main concern is that the decomposing bodies could contaminate the Campo-Cottonwood single-source aquifer, the main source of water for their service area.
When a person of the Muslim faith is buried, their body is wrapped in a shroud and is usually not embalmed, making it easier for fluids from the bodies to seep into the ground. For this reason, local residents and voting members of the Campo/Lake Morena Community Planning Group (CLMCPG) are arguing against the cemetery.
Pine Valley (pictured), a small rural town 45 minutes east of San Diego, has a population of 1,646, according to the recent U.S. Census.
SD Crescentwood Cemetery, the nonprofit advocating for the project, proposes that the cemetery be located on 37 acres of virgin land between Interstate 8 and Old Highway 80 (pictured: access road was marked at the site of the proposed cemetery in Pine Valley)
“Leachate from human remains can contaminate drinking water by leaching into the soil and entering the aquifer,” the petition states. “This can occur from cracks in the cemetery lining or from the natural breakdown of the lining over time. Byproducts including bacteria, viruses, parasites, lead, arsenic and mercury.
The nonprofit argues that the cemetery would have minimal environmental impact and comply with all state and county regulations.
Conception of the project began in 2021, when the nonprofit applied and purchased the property between La Posta Indian Reservation and Golden Acorn Casino in 2022.
In the photo: Plan of where the cemetery would be located and how it would be built.
Residents’ main concern is that the decomposing bodies could contaminate the Campo-Cottonwood single-source aquifer, the main source of water for their service area.
In March 2023, the organization applied for a Major Use Permit (MUP) with San Diego County so it could begin digging graves in late 2024.
The request for an on-site mortuary was suspended as all funeral arrangements were authorized off-site.
The number of burials that would take place per year under the project is uncertain, but the local planning group claims there would be 350 burials per year. However, Crescentwood’s website makes it clear that 350 graves are needed per year, but not all of them are necessarily used.
According to the MUP, “it is expected that there will be approximately four burials per month.”
The county requires Crescentwood to conduct a groundwater investigation and hydrological study before making a decision on the project. From there, they will decide whether or not any mitigation will be required.
Alan Klos, a Pine Valley resident for the past seven years, said NBC 7 Let him understand why the rural town is an ideal place for a cemetery.
“I mean, it’s not ideal, but, unfortunately, those who are departed need a place to be buried, and I really can’t think of many more beautiful areas than here,” Klos said. “As long as they’re careful, I don’t see any problem with it.”
Pictured: Diagram of where the cemetery will be divided.
The nonprofit argues that the cemetery would have minimal environmental impact and comply with all state and county regulations.
The number of project burials that would take place each year is uncertain, but the local planning group alleges there would be 350 burials a year.
Pictured: A map of the Campo-Cottonwood single-source aquifer
But he also made it clear that he only supports excavating the cemetery if it does not negatively affect the environment, “ensuring that those who have been buried do not contaminate groundwater.”
“You know, it’s not causing any kind of environmental issues or potentially affecting the safety of the families that live here in Pine Valley and the area,” Klos said.
The project is still in the early stages and a decision from the county is not expected for at least a year.