Oyster Creek

[Fermione]

Outage so far is going well.  It's day 8 with a lot let to complete.
Femione

[roadhp]

Well, that is a matter of opinion.  Mine is that the outage is a cluster, with ops holding it up and blowing water everywhere, too many green craft, too few RP's, too few Decon, and way too many managers looking at everything.  They came up with words that are not spoken in the OCC, such as maybe, might, we think, today, end of shift.  The only word we don't hear from the OCC is NO.  Diving is going well, however, and there are other places that are positive, but moral is not one of them.  We are being forced to work 84 hours/week, and if someone takes a day off, even if scheduled far in advance, he loses per Diem for that day, even though he will still work 72 hours that week.  Have to admire the House Techs, though.  They are some of the nicest people at the plant, I guess because they are in it with us, and then have to stay after the flood and pick up the pieces.  Boy, do I feel for them, but I've had enough of this place to last a lifetime.

[Fermione]

I can understand the frustration with the shortage of techs.  This isn't the only site with that problem.  As to the craft, you only get what the hall sends.  With the work force getting older and retiring you get what is available.  OC does have it's quirks and is not the easiest place to work but my preception is everyone is doing a jod job and doing it right.  Sorry your stay here hasn't been that pleasant.  You are not the only one working seven days.  My wife hates it and I'm on mids to boot!  Hope your stay gets a little better.
Fermione

[halflifer]

We're about 30 hrs behind, doin' drives. Had a few problems during disassembly. Gotta agree on the house tech thing. The OC and the other Exelon techs are great. They work, they help you and they know what they're doing.
As with a lot of outages these days, Safety and Rad Protection take a back seat to the schedule.
Per diem is being taken for days off, it sucks, especially since they told us 6-12's before the outage. Maybe if I take a half-day.....
Another bone is that if you get stuck late, and wind up working 12 1/2, they only pay your for 12....they take away your paid lunch.
The only real sticking points here are the pay ($21.50/hr) which we all knew about before we came here, and the RPM (who I can find nothing good to say about)....rents are kind of high, but should be coming down.

[vikingfan]

Sounds like typical exelon make people work 84+ hrs aweek so everyone is a potential FFD issue. and yes being too tired to do your job is a ffd issue, all in the name of schedule. can't believe someone would take your diem for taking a day off, oh wait its exelon. well as for the shortage of qualified and experienced personnel thats a huge industry issue.especially when alot of outages are scheduled at the same time. well hope the outage finnishes well ! 21.50 is that for a sr. hp tech ? seems kinda low ?

[njshorehp]

You are right, taking per diem away when you take a day off is not right at all.

[Mike McFarlin]

Its not like you can go home. If your more than 60 miles from home per diem must/should be paid if still employed.

[illegalsmile]

I'm afraid that's a 'should.' Bartlett's position is that since the 'client' (Oyster Creek) won't pay per diem for a day you miss, Bartlett won't pay you. OC is doing this because the outage is/was so understaffed......imagine that, with leadership like that they couldn't get people to come.
Anyway, it's almost over, a little behind schedule and a few things I never thought I'd see, but like most jobs, it's what you made of it. I'd come back again.......if I couldn't get something better.

[RADBASTARD]

maybe they need to pay more and for people not to go/

[wlrun3@aol.com]

   

   ...oyster creek has 10 months left on its operating license...

   ...refuel outage, oct 24...

   ...how will all this affect our lives...



 

[Laundry Man]

It doesn't affect mine anymore!  License renewal was only one of the factors I used when deciding to leave there.  The license is good until 2009 so they will refuel and plug along.  I do hope they get renewal.  Jersey needs the electricity, some great people and that areas economy will take a big hit if it is shut down.  Ocean County has tourism and that is about it for good paying jobs.
LM

[Fermi2]

I could care less. The last I checked Oyster Creek doesn't affect my pay or bonus.

Mike

[retired nuke]

Well, if they didn't get it, they would be the first one - could possibley be the start of a trend of non-renewals from the NRC?? I hope not - Lots of folks working at OC, we haven't had a decommisioning start in a while tho - I hate to see plants close, at least until we actually get some new ones in the pipeline.......

[RRhoads]

I could care less. The last I checked Oyster Creek doesn't affect my pay or bonus.

Mike

Ditto!
I wrote that place off in 1992!
It's on par with Perry!

[Melrose]

There'll be a lot of work for the dirt diggers as the yard is just as crapped up as the DW.  Granted it's inside the fence, that's the reason the fence was put up.
Consider it 5+ years solid work.  It'll be a money maker for somebody.

Hate it for the house guys, but, so goes the cycle.

Good luck

[Laundry Man]

Congratulations Oyster!

LACEY — From 2005 through 2007, workers at the Oyster Creek nuclear power plant in
Lacey were exposed to the lowest average radiation dose compared with their
counterparts at the 23 other U.S. sites with similar boiling water reactors,
federal data show.

In contrast, from 1998 through 2002, Oyster Creek workers had among the highest
occupational exposures to radiation, according to the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory
Commission.

Last year, the nation's 35 boiling water reactors had the third lowest average
worker radiation dose ever, according to an e-mailed NRC statement.

I had a small part in this and I do hope they get their license renewed soon.

LM

[DelayedNeutron]

License has been renewed.

If you want to make a lot of money as an EO, this is the place to be.  Overtime is in great abundance, because they can't seem to keep people for very long.

[Laundry Man]

License has been renewed.

If you want to make a lot of money as an EO, this is the place to be.  Overtime is in great abundance, because they can't seem to keep people for very long.

Unfortunately it isn't just EOs.
LM

[ascend68]

What can an Oyster Creek new hire NEO expect as far as working conditions, pay - OT, opportunities for advancement, Exelon as a company, long-term. I would really appreciate any information anyone can provide. Thanks in advance.

[HydroDave63]

What can an Oyster Creek new hire NEO expect as far as working conditions, pay - OT, opportunities for advancement, Exelon as a company, long-term. I would really appreciate any information anyone can provide. Thanks in advance.

Something like this...

[DelayedNeutron]

Outage bkr to  bkr Nov 1st to Nov 25, 2010 (day before Thanksgiving).  A 40 year old plant with a 25 day outage, is it any wonder so many things are still broken.   

[FatMalky]

Been hearing rumours about Oyster closing down in 2017 - any truth to this?  Anyone know anything?

I know they just got their License extension.

[DelayedNeutron]

Oyster Creek cut a deal to shutdown at the end of 2019 so they wouldn't have to build cooling towers.  The upcoming fight will be when will the decom start and how long will it take.  It seems Exelon prefers to wait until the license expires in 2029 to start decom and take 10 years to do it.  The state wants it to decom immediately after the final shutdown in 2019 and only take 3 years to clean the area up.

[Laundry Man]

Three years would certainly be a record.
LM

[roadhp]

Yeah, but it's not like we've had hundreds of decommissionings to learn from.