Question of the Day - 19 October 2017

First, you may bring cremated ashes on a plane, provided that the container you use meets TSA standards.

Any kind of container is okay in checked baggage (though it will probably undergo screening for explosive devices), but in carry-ons, it must pass through the x-ray machine. If the container prevents the screener from clearly seeing what's inside, the container will not be allowed through the security checkpoint. In respect to the deceased, under no circumstances will a screener open the container, even if the passenger requests that this be done.

Temporary crematory containers made of material that can be x-rayed include wood, plastic, or non-lead-lined ceramic. 

Once you've successfully transported your loved one's remains to Las Vegas, here's the lowdown on how and where you might be able to scatter them.

We first contacted one of the larger mortuaries in town. The person we spoke to stated categorically that the disposal of human remains on public property is strictly illegal in Nevada. But when we tried to find out which specific law(s) applied, it turned out to be more complex than we’d imagined 

Our next step was to turn to the Research Division of the Nevada Legislative Counsel Bureau.

They told us that "Nevada Revised Statutes (NRS) 451.020, Subsection 2 allows for cremated remains to be transported in the state and disposed of in any manner desired or directed by the decedent or by the person charged by law with burying the remains. However, property ownership and solid-waste-disposal regulations affect the disposition of remains."

As the Strip is mostly privately owned, "Anyone wishing to distribute remains on the Strip would have to determine the ownership of the property/ies in question and obtain the necessary written permission."

But then there's the solid-waste-management situation. "Cremated remains are considered solid waste and the placement of them on public property [for example, on Las Vegas Boulevard itself, or out in the desert] falls into the unlawful-dumping category." A first offense is a misdemeanor, a second offense a gross misdemeanor punishable by 14 to 365 days in county jail, and a year locked up for a third offense. Cleanup and community service may also be required."

According to a helicopter tour company we contacted, they do help scatter ashes. They confirmed that it's not legal to do so over the Strip, so you can't do this from their helicopters. However, they have taken people over the desert, to a non-commercial non-residential area, and have allowed passengers to scatter the ashes there. It would have to be a private charter as opposed to one of their scheduled tourist trips, and the cost runs in the range of $600-$1,200, depending on where you go, how many passengers there are, and so on.

We received a call from Jeff Compton, an original Huntington Press author and a long-time connection in the industry, who told us the following: "At the Cleveland Airport, I had occasion to have to follow up on no less than three lost urns with loved ones' remains. TSA screeners must screen them when they're in checked baggage (smugglers have been known to use them to transport contraband), and they're sometimes a little careless with them. 

"It's recommended that passengers don't carry them onto airplanes. Instead, ship them ahead, possibly to a UPS/FedEx store. Alternatively, the funeral parlor or crematory can ship them to a counterpart out here as a courtesy (you pay for the shipping, but at least the remains won't have to go through airport screening)."