Snellville sees no legal way to stop crematory

Two Snellville city officials delivered some news Monday night that dozens of residents gathered at City Hall didn’t want to hear: They see no legal reason to block the opening of a crematory near homes.

City Manager Russell Treadway, who spent two weeks researching the environmental impact of crematories, announced at the City Council meeting that he found no hard evidence that crematories are dangerous.

And Interim Planning Director Jason Thompson reported the business owner, owner, Chris Nuzum, has met city and state requirements to open.

The council, seeming to accept that it cannot stop the crematory from opening, voted for a new ordinance allowing city employees to regulate the emissions by various methods.

Councilwoman Kelly Kautz and Mayor Pro Tem Warren Auld had delayed the opening because they had concerns about how a crematory could affect the area.

Kautz, who is worried about the release of mercury and other toxins, convinced a majority of the council to vote for an environmental impact study several weeks ago. Treadway conducted that study.

Auld had said he didn’t think the business met state and local requirements by providing adequate parking spaces, but Thompson said it had.

Nuzum, owner of Cremation Society of the South, recently said he is being discriminated against. He said he will file a lawsuit if he is not allowed to open soon.