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Site Characterization in Support of Decommissioning: Planning, Implementation, and Evaluation

Accredited continuing education course for personnel involved in remediation of decommissioned nuclear sites

Introduction

Successful site remediation, final status surveys (FSS), and facility release are dependent upon the adequacy of the initial decommissioning planning. Because so much of the information that ultimately feeds into the planning and documentation that supports release guideline development, remediation, and final status surveys is generated during early site reconnaissance, it is imperative that the historical site assessment and characterization are integrated with the overarching plans for eventually releasing a site.

The driving guidance for the FSS of radiologically contaminated sites is MARSSIM. Together with additional guidance documents that include the NRC’s Consolidated Decommissioning Guidance (NUREG-1757), MARSAME, as well as guidance from our European counterparts, this course has been designed to bridge the gap between available training and emphasis on the performance of final status surveys to ensure that the initial historical site assessments and characterization surveys, from which the majority of the important decision-making data arise, are conducted in an integrated approach for decommissioning that will feed directly into FSS planning and site release.

The American Academy of Health Physics grants 40 Continuing Education Credits for completion of this course.

Training dates

Course description

This five-day course emphasizes site evaluation, data planning, survey implementation and tools, data interpretation, and decision-making processes involved in the historical site assessment, scoping survey, and characterization survey phases of decommissioning. Much of the course involves planning sessions and individual and class exercises. Topics include: site assessment, surveys for radiological and chemical contaminants, data quality objectives and assessments, safety evaluations, planning, and budgeting.

Who should attend

This course is designed for individuals who will be responsible for the oversight and planning of the surveys leading up to remediation and FSS, determining data needs, and data evaluation and reporting. Although general concepts from MARSSIM are included in the course, experience or previous training using MARSSIM is not a prerequisite.

Cost

$1,995 – The tuition includes the full cost of training and instructional materials in electronic form (PDF). Attendees should bring a laptop or tablet that is wifi enabled in order to download the instructional materials on the first day of the course. A printed copy of the instructional materials may be purchased for an additional fee ($50) if preferred. The print option can be selected during registration. Attendees will also receive a free copy of the ORAU Professional Training Programs Electronic Library DVD.

If you are interested in having this course delivered at your site, please contact Tonya Bernhardt at (865) 407-7053.

Questions

If you have additional questions about this course, please contact the Registrar.

Impact Areas

Registration Information

 

PTP has upgraded our instructional materials to an electronic format. Attendees should bring a laptop or tablet that is wifi enabled in order to download the instructional materials on the first day of the course. Printed materials will still be available for an additional fee ($50). The print option can be selected during registration.

The decision deadline for running a course is 30 days prior to the course start date. If there are not enough registrants at that time, the course will be cancelled, so please REGISTER EARLY. If you are unable to register prior to the deadline, please contact the Registrar for assistance.

You have several options on registration and payment for an ORAU PTP course:

Be sure to read the following information prior to registering.

Non-citizens (U.S.)

Since this training takes place in a Department of Energy facility, certain security requirements must be met. Foreign nationals must be cleared before attending, a process that may take several weeks. If you are a foreign national, contact the Registrar for additional information.

Confirmation

One month prior to the course starting date, if that much advance time is available, you will receive written confirmation of your registration, as well as additional information regarding time, local lodging, and local transportation. You are responsible for your own  lodging arrangements.

You may cancel your registration 30 days prior to the course start date with no penalty. Individuals who cancel within 30 days of the course start date will be assessed a 10% cancellation fee based on the cost of the course. Individuals who do not notify ORAU of cancellation and do not attend the course will be assessed a 20% cancellation fee.

Cancellations must be communicated directly to the ORAU Professional Training Programs Registrar and a confirmation will be provided. Cancellation fees will be invoiced to participants after the completion of the course. If a course was paid in full at the time of registration, reimbursement (minus any applicable cancellation fee) will be processed after course completion.

ORAU’s Professional Training Programs reserves the right to cancel or reschedule a course due to insufficient participants, or for other reasons beyond our control. If a course is canceled, you will be notified by phone or email one month prior to the start date of the course. No cancellation fee will be assessed for courses canceled by ORAU. If ORAU cancels the course, any payments received prior to the cancellation of the course will be refunded in full.

ORAU does not recommend that participants make non-refundable travel arrangements prior to the one month cancellation window. ORAU is not liable for such costs if the course is canceled.

Time Action Cancellation Fee
≥ 30 days before start date of the course ORAU cancels course or participant cancels registration None
< 30 days before start date of the course Participant cancels registration 10% of course cost
Week of course Participant does not attend and/or provide notification before start date of the course 20% of course cost

The ORAU-ANL Decommissioning Certificate Program is a formal curriculum that documents that an individual has achieved a baseline level of training in the subject of facility/site decommissioning.

To complete the certificate program, participants must attend two requisite core courses and one additional elective course. They do not need to be taken in any specific order. After the training requirements have been met, it is the responsibility of the participant to contact the ORAU Registrar and request the Decommissioning Certificate. When it has been confirmed by the ORAU Registrar that the requirements have been completed, the individual will be awarded the Decommissioning Certificate.

At this time, no administrative fees are being imposed for the certificate. The sole expense to the participant is the cost of attending the courses.

Requisite Courses

Participants must attend the following two core courses:

Elective Courses

Participants must attend one elective course from the following:

Issuance of Decommissioning Certificate

For the Decommissioning Certificate to be issued, the participant must provide the ORAU Registrar with documentation that the training requirements have been met. This documentation could consist of copies of the certificates of completion from the core and elective courses. If a certificate of completion for one of the ANL courses is unavailable, it would be acceptable to provide the ORAU Registrar with a letter or email from Argonne National Laboratory confirming that the individual attended the course(s). Without a certificate of completion for one of the ORAU courses, the participant must be able to provide the Registrar with the specific dates that the course(s) was attended and the attendance must be confirmed by the Registrar.

Continuing Education Credits

All of the requisite and elective courses have been assigned at least 16 Continuing Education Credits (CECs) by the American Academy of Health Physics.

  1. From the airport, take US 129 N (Alcoa Highway) toward Knoxville for approximately 2.3 miles.
  2. Use the right lane to merge onto I-140 W via the ramp to Oak Ridge.
  3. Continue on I-140 W for approximately 11.4 miles. You will cross I-40/I-75. As you cross the interstate continue onto TN-162 N (Pellissippi Parkway).
  4. In 5.9 miles, TN-162 N will merge with TN-62 W. You will travel through the small Solway community that primarily consists of gas stations and small stores. Continue over the Clinch River/Solway Bridge, and past a local cemetery that will be on the right.
  5. Stay in one of the left two lanes and continue another 6.3 miles to Oak Ridge.

Directions to the training center:

  1. After you have crossed over the Clinch River/Solway Bridge and are next to the cemetery, you will see a sign that says “Bethel Valley Road ORNL Y-12 Complex, CLOSED TO THROUGH TRAFFIC.” Our facility is located prior to the closure. Take the exit right onto Bethel Valley Road.
  2. In approximately 0.8 miles, the training center will be on the left at the intersection of Bethel Valley Road and Pumphouse Road (to the left) and Scarboro Road (to the right). Turn left onto Pumphouse Road. There will be two entrances immediately on the left into the parking lot.
  3. To enter the facility, walk around to the front of the building. The training center entrance faces Bethel Valley Road closest to the intersection.

Google Earth coordinates of training facility: 35.983667 -84.222

Hotel Address Phone Distance
Candlewood Suites* 10206 Parkside Drive, Knoxville 1(865) 777-0400
1(877) 226-3539		 10 miles
Comfort Inn 433 S. Rutgers Ave., Oak Ridge 1(865) 481-8200
1(800) 228-5150		 2.5 miles
Courtyard by Marriott 216 Langley Place, Knoxville 1(865) 539-0600 9 miles
Days Inn 206 S. Illinois Ave., Oak Ridge 1(865) 483-5615
1(800) 329-7466		 3 miles
Doubletree 215 S. Illinois Ave., Oak Ridge 1(865) 481-2468
1(800) 222-TREE		 3 miles
Hampton Inn 208 S. Illinois Ave., Oak Ridge 1(865) 482-7889
1(800) HAMPTON		 3 miles
Holiday Inn Express* 114 Tulsa Road, Oak Ridge 1(888) 465-4329 3.5 miles
Homewood Suites by Hilton 10935 Turkey Drive, Knoxville 1(865) 777-0375 10 miles
Quality Inn 216 S. Rutgers Ave., Oak Ridge 1(865) 483-6809 3 miles
Residence Inn by Marriott* 215 Langley Place, Knoxville 1(865) 539-5339 9 miles
SpringHill Suites by Marriott 10955 Turkey Drive, Knoxville 1(865) 966-8888 10 miles
Staybridge Suites (Extended Stay)* 420 S. Illinois Ave., Oak Ridge 1(865) 298-0050
1(800) 238-8000		 2.5 miles
TownePlace Suites by Marriott* 205 Langley Place, Knoxville 1(865) 693-5216 9 miles
Westgate Apartments 101-O Gates Drive 1(865) 481-0603 8 miles

*Ask for the ORAU special rate.

Airline Phone Number
Allegiant Air 1(702) 505-8888
American Airlines 1(800) 433-7300
Delta Airlines 1(702) 505-8888
Frontier Airlines 1(801) 401-9000
United Airlines 1(800) 864-8331
McGhee Tyson Airport 1(865) 342-3000
Rental Car Agency Phone Number Reservations
Alamo 1(865) 342-3210 1(800) 327-9633
AVIS 1(865) 342-3220 1(800) 331-1212
Budget Car Rental 1(865) 342-3220 1(800) 527-0700
Dollar Car Rental 1(865) 342-3250 1(800) 366-2277
Enterprise Rent-a-Car 1(865) 342-1650 1(800) Rent-A-Car
Enterprise Rent-a-Car, Oak Ridge 1(865) 483-8494 1(800) 325-8007
Hertz 1(865) 342-3232 1(800) 654-3131
National Car Rental 1(865) 342-3240 1(800) 227-7368

Tentative Course Schedule

 

Monday

 
8:00 AM Welcome, Registration, Orientation and Photo 
9:00 AM Course Goals and Introductions
9:15 AM Purpose of Characterization Surveys
9:45 AM Descriptive Statistics 
11:00 AM Quality Assurance Project Plan (QAPP)
12:30 PM Radiological Survey Types in Support of Decommissioning 
1:00 PM Overview of ANSI N13.59
2:30 PM MARSSIM Overview
Tuesday

 
8:00 AM MARSAME (Supplement to NUREG-1575)
9:00 AM Characterization and Decontamination of Building and Associated Structures
10:00 AM Characterization and Decontamination of Land Areas
11:00 AM Pathway Modeling and DCGLs
1:00 PM RESRAD
2:00 PM Characterization Start Point: The Historical Site Assessment Process
2:45 PM Exercise: HSA and Development of CSM
4:00 PM Summary: HSA and CSM (One Possible Solution)
Wednesday

 
8:00 AM Sampling Designs
8:30 AM Anticipated SOW/WAC
9:30 AM Scoping Survey Planning
10:00 AM Exercise: Scoping Survey Planning
10:30 AM Summary: Scoping Survey Planning (One Possible Solution)
12:30 PM Exercise: Scoping Survey Results Review and CSM Revisions
2:00 PM Summary: Scoping Survey Results
3:00 PM Land Area Characterization Techniques
Thursday

 
8:00 AM Exercise: Land Area Characterization
11:00 AM Structural Characterization: DQOs and Planning
1:00 PM Exercise: Structural Characterization
3:00 PM Class Discussion: Sample Characterization  Results Analysis
Friday

 
8:00 AM Class Discussion: Sample Characterization Results Analysis continued
9:30 AM Equipment and Systems Approaches
11:00 AM Data Management
12:00 PM Course Critique and Adjourn

What our students are saying

“Course content was excellent and presentation was very good. A lot of valuable information. Instructors were very interesting and informative.”

“I was reminded of things learned in the past, and I learned why we do some things. I also learned a wealth of new info and am going back with pages and pages of notes of things to review and possibly change.”

“As a rad tech, this course was more informative and more relevant to my position than I expected. Excellent instructors, will highly recommend PTP to others seeking training.”

Worker conducting site characterization survey

Contact us

For more information about ORAU's Professional Training Programs, contact:

Registrar
ORAU Professional Training Programs 
P.O. Box 117, MS-11
Oak Ridge, TN 37831-0117
Phone: (865) 576-3576
Fax: (865) 241-9152
registrar@orau.org

ORAU Professional Training Programs flyer

View the PTP course flyer (.PDF, 1.28 MB)