“Show me
your cemeteries and I will tell you what kind of people you have.”
-- Benjamin
Franklin
Cemeteries are more than
places of remembrance: they are outdoor museums. These sites present
a collection of unique artifacts that have remained in their original
context.
Cemeteries are among the
most valuable of historic resources in that they are reminders of
various settlement patterns, such as villages, rural communities,
urban centers, and even ghost towns. They can reveal information
about historic events, religions, lifestyles, and genealogy. And, of
course, names on grave markers serve as a directory of early
residents and reflect the ethnic diversity and unique population of
an area.
It is clear that
cemeteries are dynamic, reflecting changing cultural institutions,
social values, and regional ethnic identity. All cemeteries encode
social and cultural values reflecting specific choices; therefore
they provide insight into how people lived.
“Cemeteries
and their symbols guide us into the past. They are not just where the
dead reside, nor are they static snapshots of older views
and
attitudes about death.”
– Illinois
Historic Cemetery Preservation Handbook
Citizens must hold
reverence for these sacred places. Increased urbanization, along with
a dilution of respect and reverence for cemeteries, has resulted in
their destruction by development, neglect, abandonment, and
vandalism. All burials, whether of people rich or poor, famous or
unknown, deserve respect and protection. It behooves a community to
hold dear these places where past residents find their final rest.
When cemeteries are
ignored and allowed to deteriorate, and markers are damaged or
destroyed, society loses important information about the past.
Ultimately, an important part of ourselves is lost. Preservation
efforts are more successful and vandalism decreases when adults and
children become familiar with the information learned from
cemeteries.
A Serious Consideration
Perhaps Overlooked
Lawn care is the most
time-consuming, and, if not done carefully, potentially destructive
maintenance activity in historic cemeteries. Could some maintenance
practices actually be harmful not only to the grounds but also to
humans who walk these areas?
Physical damage when
moving can be devastating. Mowing between tight spots with a large
riding mower deck is destined to cause some damage. Best practices
include using a smaller, push mower between particularly sensitive
features, and outfitting riding mower decks with protective bumpers.
Low-cost options include using fire hose padding or a foam swimming
“noodle.” Additional damage is caused by riding over low stones
or coping, especially when the blade height is set low.
As a time-saving measure,
herbicides are sometimes used around the base of features to remove
unwanted grass and weeds. In most cases, the use of herbicides for
this purpose is not recommended, as salts within the herbicide can
wick into the stone (especially soft stones) and cause spalling and
deterioration.
The removal of vegetation
also exposes soil around the base of the grave marker, which, in a
heavy rain, can cause soil splashing that may result in staining.
Herbicides and fertilizers can corrode metal fences, plaques and
statuary. In addition, the overuse of these products often results in
unsightly messes in the landscape – the beautiful aesthetics of
cemeteries.
Herbicides also present
the problem of drift. Drift is the uncontrolled movement away from
its target area. Drift can occur in two ways; particle drift or vapor
drift. When small spray droplets move long distances due to wind, it
is called particle drift. Vapor drift is when a pesticide volatilizes
or evaporates into the atmosphere and moves off site and damages
non-target plants.
The most important thing
to remember is that the applicator is responsible for pesticide
drift, even if environmental conditions are the cause. And despite
what you may think, it does not take much chemical to cause damage
onto a nearby crop. For example, grapes can be damaged by 2,4-D at up
to 100 times less than the labeled rate for controlling weeds!
To
minimize particle drift, it is recommended to use air induction
nozzles, and/or low pressure nozzles, in addition to spraying in low
winds. It is suggested to use amines instead of esters in warm
temperatures for this reason.
Herbicide residues may
persist in the soil and affect susceptible crops for one or more
years following application. Herbicide injury symptoms on sensitive
plants can occur from exposure to low soil concentrations. Herbicide
carryover can cause crop injury ranging from minimal to complete crop
loss or plant kill. Injury problems have typically arisen where
normal breakdown of herbicides has been inhibited by factors such as
drought and pH.
In addition, one other
consideration must be addressed with herbicide use. Chemical Trespass
and Involuntary Exposure Chemical trespass means that chemicals have
moved from the target area onto someone else's property. This creates
the potential for involuntary exposure and concern about residues on
a neighboring lawn, garden, or a child's or a pet's play area.
Misuse of herbicides can
have very costly effects. In 2015, nearly half of 167-year-old Salt
Lake City Cemetery (41 acres) was damaged when a city employee
accidentally sprayed much of the landscape with the wrong kind of
herbicide. The extensive repairs cost the city between $250,000 and
$600,000.
Most importantly, health
risks with herbicide application are real concerns. Several
organizations have evaluated cancer risks associated with common
herbicides like glyphosate in recent years. These assessments
consider epidemiological, toxicology and genotoxicity studies. The
potential carcinogenic properties of glyphosate are the subject of
widespread scientific debate.
In 2015, the World Health
Organization’s International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC)
concluded that “Glyphosate is probably carcinogenic to humans”.
The IARC’s study aimed to identify hazards that can result in
cancer outcomes but did not consider the risk of exposure to doses
that are likely to occur in the environment. Put another way, the
IARC asked “Can glyphosate cause cancer under any circumstance?”
Based on this criteria,
other probable human carcinogens included red meat, late-night work
shifts and indoor emissions from burning wood. In 2016, the EPA
evaluated the carcinogenic potential of glyphosate and concluded that
glyphosate was “not likely to be carcinogenic to humans at doses
relevant to human health risk assessments.”
In contrast, the EPA
assessment accounted for the likelihood of exposure in order to
quantify carcinogenic risks. Based on review of epidemiological
studies, the EPA found no evidence of association between glyphosate
exposure and numerous cancer outcomes but indicated more data was
needed to determine association between glyphosate exposure and
Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma.
And …
Researchers from the
University of Washington evaluated existing studies into the chemical
-- found in weed killers including Monsanto's popular Roundup -- and
concluded that it significantly increases the risk of non-Hodgkin
lymphoma (NHL), a cancer of the immune system. Glyphosate raises the
cancer risk of those exposed to it by 41%, a new analysis says.
"All of the
meta-analyses conducted to date, including our own, consistently
report the same key finding: exposure to GBHs (glyphosate-based
herbicides) are associated with an increased risk of NHL," the
authors wrote in a study published in the journal Mutation
Research.
Moreover, the chemical has
triggered multiple lawsuits from people who believe that exposure to
the herbicide caused their non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. In 2017, CNN
reported that more than 800 people were suing Monsanto; by the
following year, that figure was in the thousands.
One high-profile case
against Monsanto was that of Dewayne Johnson, a former school
groundskeeper diagnosed with terminal non-Hodgkin lymphoma in 2014.
In August 2018, a judge ordered Monsanto to pay Johnson $289 million
in damages, an award subsequently reduced to approximately $78
million after Monsanto appealed.
The proper, safe
maintenance of cemeteries is costly but necessary. It is evident that
preserving these historic places is a challenge we must face. Why? No
one can deny their importance to the people … all the people. A
most sacred trust is achieved when a community strives to preserve
these beautiful areas. They are living environments that lift our
humanity in their natural grace and simplicity.
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