The battle over the crematory is far from over.

For a third consecutive time, concerned residents packed Snellville City Council chambers during a meeting Monday night to hear updates on the controversial crematory planned near a residential neighborhood.

The tense meeting spilled over into heated words between city officials.

Councilman Robert Jenkins said that Mayor Jerry Oberholtzer confronted him the in the hallway minutes earlier asking the councilman to "take it outside." Jenkins threatened to have the mayor arrested if he continues to "bully" the council about the crematory. Jenkins claims the mayor, who has said the business should be allowed to open, told Jenkins to watch what he says in opposition to the project.

"I will not be bullied," Jenkins said.

The mayor didn't respond during the meeting to Jenkins' accusations.

The crematory issue has snowballed into on of the city's largest controversies in recent history.

On Monday City Manager Russell Treadway, who was asked to study any environmental impact caused by the business, said he needs two more weeks to finish the research. He will report back to the council during a meeting Aug. 25.

So far, he has found mixed reviews.

"While crematories themselves are generally regulated, as they are in Georgia, the cremation process itself is not" in this state, Treadway said.

He said in the U.S. studies he looked at, mercury isn't listed as a factor in air pollution. However, in Sweden, some studies blame crematory emissions for causing 20.7 percent of the mercury found in the air there, Treadway said.

"I haven't found any study that is exactly on point to our crematory issue here," he said.

Chris Nuzum, who owns Cremation Society of the South, is expected to appear before a state licensing board Tuesday, though the board is not expected to immediately announce whether it will grant Nuzum a license. Nuzum also needs a certificate of occupancy, a permit to open, from Snellville.

He had expected to open his business in a former house at U.S. 78 and Abington Drive this month, but that could be delayed due to angry residents who live nearby and some council members.

Councilwoman Kelly Kautz and Councilman Robert Jenkins said they still have many concerns about allowing a crematory to operate near homes.

"The bottom line is that there is the potential for pollution with this crematory," Kautz said.

Jenkins said the business shouldn't be near homes. "There are a lot of people in town upset about this thing," he said. "I think we need to do due diligence.