Some Rocklin residents are fighting a proposal to open the city's first funeral home, saying the formaldehyde used in the embalming process could be hazardous to children at a nearby school.
Though a Placer County air pollution official says there is little danger, residents will oppose the proposal when it is heard by the Rocklin City Council Tuesday.
Ron Harder, a financial planner from Roseville, wants to open a full-service funeral home in an office complex at 6920 Destiny Drive that backs up to Antelope Creek Elementary School. Currently, there are about five funeral homes serving the South Placer area, including two in Roseville and one in Citrus Heights.
With deaths in Placer County expected to rise from 2,460 in 2006 to between 6,000 and 7,000 by 2015, Harder said the need for another funeral home is evident.
"There's been an enormous population growth in Placer County. The number of older people who have moved into the area has increased enormously with all these senior communities," Harder said.
Nearby residents said they became concerned when they learned that formaldehyde – a chemical the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency says may cause cancer in humans – would be vented outside from the room where embalming takes place.
"It's really bad. The European Union has proposed a ban on it," said resident Mark Crabtree, whose 8-year-old son attends Antelope Creek Elementary. "I'm worried about all the children at the school. I rode my bike up there and you can look over the retaining wall. The school is right there."
Formaldehyde is used to manufacture building materials, make household products and to preserve human remains, according to the National Cancer Institute.
When a certain amount is present in the air, some people may suffer from burning eyes, nose and throat, as well as coughing and nausea.
"I'm just concerned that this is going to be next to me," nearby resident Sandy Zan said. "We don't really seem to have anything in place that will protect the kids and the neighborhood."
A Placer County air pollution control engineer who conducted an air study said the formaldehyde emissions will be so low they pose little risk.
Ordinarily, the Placer County Air Pollution Control District does not require permits from funeral homes unless they have a crematory. The Rocklin proposal, however, drew senior air pollution control engineer John Finnell's attention because of its proximity to a school.
Using a computerized air model, Finnell found that even under the worst-case scenario, the risk of cancer is only about one in a million. The risk levels for short-term and chronic problems were even less, he said.
"There are other funeral homes in Placer County and we have not required permits, nor have we had complaints or concerns from neighbors," Finnell said.
Call The Bee's Jennifer K. Morita, (916) 773-7388.
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