Posted on 12/28/2008 11:23:07 AM PST by DogBarkTree
President-elect Barack Obama might have broken Environmental Protection Agency regulations when he tossed the cremated remains of his grandmother into the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Nuuanu, Hawaii, earlier this week. Secret Service security keeps a close watch as Obama, oldest daughter Malia and sister Maya Soetoro-Ng, among others, make their way down to the rocky shoreline. Together, they spread the ashes of Madelyn Dunham. It's the same spot Obama paid tribute to his mother last August. A ceremony arranged for his grandmother, whom he lost during the election process, may end up causing quite a headache for Barack Obama.
In a ceremony held in Hawaii, Obama, teary-eyed, poured his grandmother's ashes into the sea from the sand-lined shore. Environmentalists were quick to stand up against the move.
The reason behind the contention was the state's Department of Land and Natural Resources Protection Law, which prohibits ashes from being dropped into the ocean. According to the regulation in place, ashes must be poured at a distance of at least three nautical miles. It has not yet been determined whether Obama will receive a fine for his actions.
According to the EPA's website:
Disposal location and measures - Non-cremated remains
Burial at sea of human remains that are not cremated shall take place at least 3 nautical miles from land and in water at least 600 feet deep. Certain areas, including east central Florida, the Dry Tortugas, Florida and west of Pensacola, Florida to the Mississippi River Delta, require water at least 1800 feet deep. Refer to the Code of Federal Regulations at 40 CFR 229.1 (PDF) (1 p, 149K, About PDF) for details. All necessary measures shall be taken to ensure that the remains sink to the bottom rapidly and permanently.
Disposal location and measures - Cremated remains
Cremated remains shall be buried in or on ocean waters without regard to the depth limitations specified for non-cremated remains in paragraph 2 above provided that such burial takes place at least three nautical miles from land.
The SABAH article said, "Environmentalists were quick to stand up against the move."
Clearly, these environmentalists aren't members of the American media, for I haven't been able to find any reports concerning this matter.
I wonder why.
Noel Sheppard is the Associate Editor of NewsBusters.
That’s the usual way and I don’t remember anyone being dumped on rocks before.
The ashes of course ended up being blown all over Mel and those present.
Sorry that right has ended. When you are the medias whore then you are everyones whore at all times
All right, let’s start a viral rumor.
See on the right hand side of the ash, just past the main dump, isn’t that an image of Granny? I can make out her head, shoulders, hair, etc. Granny? Granny? Is that you?
This is not the coast of Nuuanu. This is Makapuu
Nuuanu does’nt have a coast, it’s an inland neighborhood.
Media do your homework!
Oh please, this one is silly. Besides, didn’t you know laws don’t apply to liberals?
Who the hell is that nightmare on the right?
Looks like something the cameraman didn't see, but it showed up on the film after developing.
That’s Grandma Dunham, in the picture because the photographer, unlike the rest of the family it can be seen, recognised her as part of the family.
Nothing is against the law if the “law” doesn’t do anything about it. And the “law” ceased to exist under Slick. Under W it ceased to exist unless it was someone trying to stop illegal immigration then the “law” came down hard.
Obama is teflon.
In the Star Bulletin published Sunday December 28th, 2008 this paragraph is printed:
Dunham, 86, died Nov. 2, two days before Obama won the election. Her ashes will be buried near those of her husband, Stanley, next month in a private family service. Stanley Dunham, who served in the Army during World War II, died in 1992.
So what ashes are these?
In my family, we would all encircle our grandparent or aged relative and fill in around him or her. We also had our arms around one another.
That is his big bottomed half sister Sotero. She does resemble Michelle from the waist down.
I watched the newscast and read the article and did not see Michelle anywhere. Maybe I am being a little too critical of Michelle and imagining things. I just sense a tesion between the family he made and the family that made him.
That's because you're a typical white person.
What the Soetoro Obama clan is demonstrating here is the alienation that half-black non-slaves feel when being repressed by The Man (in this case, an 85 year old woman).
R U jiggy wid it?
That's because you're a typical white person.
What the Soetoro Obama clan is demonstrating here is the alienation that half-black non-slaves feel when being repressed by The Man (in this case, an 85 year old woman).
R U jiggy wid it?
I have to laugh every time people reference the “black” part of NObama. Whatever...so he’s half black. He was raised by a white woman. Then raised by his white grandparents. His white family paid for at least his early education. After that, who knows since he won’t release any records.
In other words, he’s more white than black due to the culture he grew up in. He chose his blackness probably so he could hang with the bros in Chicago.
Disgusting and disrespectful. When my mother-in-law passed away, the family went out on a boat and after placing a wreath in the water, put her ashes (still in the urn) inside the wreath. It only took about a minute for the urn to slip under the sea. Very touching and emotional.
Looks more like ordinary beach sand rather than cremains.
I operate a charter fishing boat in the Gulf and have taken many families to spread the ashes of a loved one. We have never charged for the trip. Most call in advance to make the arrangements and all are an emotional experience.
I once booked a short fishing trip for a family and when they climbed aboard one was clutching a paper bag which is not uncommon. I noticed right away that they did not seem terribly interested in fishing. After about an hour the gentleman that had arranged the trip came to me and asked if it would be possible to stop and spread the ashes of his father.
Somewhat stunned by the request I replied certainly. The deed was done and usually the emotion of the occasion shows on the faces of all involved. This time the family members all had a wry smile on the faces.
The gentleman returned to the wheel house later to tell me the rest of the story. His father had spent years fishing the area I operate in and had asked his family to spread his ashes at sea when He died. He explained that His father had been a fine man with a terrific sense of humor. The old man had remarried a few years prior to his death having been a widower for years.
The new wife and now widow wanted nothing of the idea of spreading his ashes at sea. The deceased’s children had waited until the new wife had left town and taken the urn which held his ashes from the mantle of his home. When we returned to the dock the wandered down to the beach smiling all the way to fill the urn with beach sand before they returned home to place it on the mantle.
vob
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