Nuclear Chem Tech

[johnnyhqle]

I just got the opportunity to test and interview for a Nuclear Chem Tech position for Exelon at Peachbottom PA. Does anyone have any opinions about the position/location? Any info would be appreciated.

[Rennhack]

Location:  Lots of Amish and Farmland.

[johnnyhqle]

Yeah Idk how I feel about driving through Amish town to get to work. Has anyone had any good or bad experiences working at Peach Bottom? I wish this was an operator or engineering position rather than a tech position.

[Laundry Man]

Peach is out in the middle of nowhere as stated.  Back roads all the way in.  Starting as a Chem Tech doesn't sound so bad.  If you wanted the operator or engineer, why didn't you wait for those openings?
LM

[RDTroja]

Yeah Idk how I feel about driving through Amish town to get to work. Has anyone had any good or bad experiences working at Peach Bottom? I wish this was an operator or engineering position rather than a tech position.

The Amish tend to live in areas that remain fairly undeveloped and unspoiled... not a bad ride through their neighborhoods, if you like natural settings. Nice folks to deal with, too... they tend to be honest and forthright.

Peach is out in the middle of nowhere as stated.  Back roads all the way in.  Starting as a Chem Tech doesn't sound so bad.  If you wanted the operator or engineer, why didn't you wait for those openings?
LM

It is far better to wait for an opening on the inside than the outside. Transferring to ops from chemistry is probably a lot easier than entering ops from the outside... particularly if you can prove you are worth their time and training investment first.

[nukewood]

I raised my family in the area -good memories , great friends among the Amish and the Mennonites.

[johnnyhqle]

Peach is out in the middle of nowhere as stated.  Back roads all the way in.  Starting as a Chem Tech doesn't sound so bad.  If you wanted the operator or engineer, why didn't you wait for those openings?
LM

I will be graduating this May with a Chemical Engineering degree with a concentration in Nuclear Engineering so I applied everywhere. The opportunity for an operator or engineering position also doesn't come around too often (from what i've found). If I get this position it will be a good stepping stone for me into the industry that may turn into something better. If another opportunity comes up, who knows what i'll do.

Are technicians considered lower than operators and engineers?

[GLW]

I will be graduating this May with a Chemical Engineering degree with a concentration in Nuclear Engineering so I applied everywhere.....

Did you apply at the NRC?

....The opportunity for an operator or engineering position also doesn't come around too often (from what i've found)......

The opportunities for people without experience is what you are finding,...

your education is excellent, more than what is needed for a chem tech,...

it's your experience which is near zero in a field chock a block full of folks with 20 years plus of that part of the employment equation,...

....Are technicians considered lower than operators and engineers?

different is not synonymous with lower,...

[johnnyhqle]

different is not synonymous with lower,...

In no way was I trying to imply that Techs ARE lower or higher than Operators or Engineers. I just hear a lot of other students at my university talking down about Technician jobs and like you said, my education is more than needed for a chem tech which implies some sort of hierarchy.

And you are right, my biggest flaw is my work experience. I also have been working in a lab for the past 4 years as a lab tech..which might explain why I was contacted for this position...

[GLW]

In no way was I trying to imply that Techs ARE lower or higher than Operators or Engineers. I just hear a lot of other students at my university talking down about Technician jobs and like you said, my education is more than needed for a chem tech which implies some sort of hierarchy.

And you are right, my biggest flaw is my work experience. I also have been working in a lab for the past 4 years as a lab tech..which might explain why I was contacted for this position...

fair enough,...did you apply at the NRC?!?

[johnnyhqle]

fair enough,...did you apply at the NRC?!?

I applied to a few openings at the NRC on USAJobs but no bites so far. I applied to a few naval shipyards too and no bites. All I can do is wait and see who responds to my applications.

I am going to the ANS conference this spring and hopefully they'll have some companies there with openings.

[hamsamich]

I've been a chem tech, an RP tech, and an operator.  Operations as an NLO to me is on the same par as RP or Chem tech, although Chem Techs and RP Techs may make a little more money.  RO or SRO (also Operations) is obviously on a higher plane in money and more complex.  But different plants are sometimes very different in approaches.  Some Chem Techs (like at Salem) do way more operations type stuff and have many other duties when compared to what an average chem tech does at most plants.  But don't worry about any of this.  Best to get your foot in the door and then move over to another position when it becomes available in house.  Most places need operators more than other positions;  so getting in as something other than an operator will give you a chance to do something different on your way to ops.  It is harder to leave ops than to goto ops once you are in house.  Especially if you have an RO or SRO.  This is not always the case but more often than not.

[johnnyhqle]

I've been a chem tech, an RP tech, and an operator.  Operations as an NLO to me is on the same par as RP or Chem tech, although Chem Techs and RP Techs may make a little more money.  RO or SRO (also Operations) is obviously on a higher plane in money and more complex.  But different plants are sometimes very different in approaches.  Some Chem Techs (like at Salem) do way more operations type stuff and have many other duties when compared to what an average chem tech does at most plants.  But don't worry about any of this.  Best to get your foot in the door and then move over to another position when it becomes available in house.  Most places need operators more than other positions;  so getting in as something other than an operator will give you a chance to do something different on your way to ops.  It is harder to leave ops than to goto ops once you are in house.  Especially if you have an RO or SRO.  This is not always the case but more often than not.

Well from the numbers I was told when doing some different interviews, a NSO position at one reactor (my number 1 choice) is about 75k, the Nuke/Chem tech position is offering about 64k. I just hope I get something once I graduate.

[hamsamich]

starting at almost 40 an hour for NLO with no experience seems high even with a good degree.  nso may be something different, like coming in as an instant sro candidate.  we maybe talking about 2 different things here.  31ish/hour for chem tech sounds more likely starting.

[johnnyhqle]

starting at almost 40 an hour for NLO with no experience seems high even with a good degree.  nso may be something different, like coming in as an instant sro candidate.  we maybe talking about 2 different things here.  31ish/hour for chem tech sounds more likely starting.

To be more exact..Chem Tech is about $30.90/hr and the NSO is about $37/hr. The NSO position is definitely an entry position because they train you for 6 months to become a non licensed operator and after some experience we can take the test to become a licensed reactor operator. That's what my hiring rep told me at least.

Hamsamich, could you tell me anything about what you did as a Chem Tech and your experience in that field? I've seen other chem techs, and a lot of them work solo in a lab or in a small team of 2-3.

[hamsamich]

Well you take and analyze samples of all kinds of different mediums.  You could be going to the stack and removing air samples for analysis.  Or the RCS, which is analyzed for different things in different ways, gaseous and liquid.  Some of the analysis will be right there or you might have to take a sample back to another lab and do a titration, like for boron.  You will be all over the plant sometimes taking weird samples like Diesel Generator Fuel, or Non Rad Waste, or during an outage sampling a reactor drain tank in the containment(rare).  You could end up doing some shipping for more specialized samples.  A newby would do alot of nitrogen filling to keep the Germanium detectors at the right temp.  Could be down in radwaste analyzing tank samples.  you may be the guy who hooks up and fills chemical systems, like morpholine, when the truck comes in, yucky.  I helped change out resin beds and get rid of old resin waste water in tanks.  we added boron if I remember with a addition pot to the rcs.  put boron in the pot and shoot it in.  there is a tech that walks around with a cart taking a bunch of small samples at different system points, like TDS/chlorides on fresh water system.  May have to analyze for total activity in the count room for discharge water.  Sometimes there is a countroom guy who analyzes what people bring him, but he may be the only one so he goes and gets the samples then comes back and analyzes them back in the countroom.  You probably have a RCS/primary lab, a S-G/secondary lab, and a countroom.  Dayshift has more peeps doing most of the dailys while the guy on backshift may not do much.

[allenmurrow]

Peach Bottom is a great place to work.
I was hired in 2008 as an NLO and am now just a few weeks away from becoming an RO.
I agree with the prior comments regarding how you should take the Chem Tech opportunity now and later, if you desire, and prove to have good work habits and procedural compliance, then transferring into OPS should be relatively easy.

As for the location comments: from my perspective, the amish are much more "noticeable" for those living in Lancaster/Millersville areas and those living up Rt.74 in the Red Lion area. By noticeable, I am referring to having to slow down behind a horse and buggy and wait for a clearing to pass. People living in those areas will generally see these delays on route to or from work by traveling Rt.74 and Rt.372.

I live in Rising Sun, MD which is about 25 minutes from Peach Bottom Atomic Power Station located in Delta, PA. Personally, I really do love living in this area. When I was younger and single, Lancaster, Millersville, and York were fun due to their nightlife. But now that I am a little older, married, and expecting our first child, I am very glad that we live in a more "country" atmosphere with 4.5 acres for the dogs and a lot less traffic congestion. I am minutes from Rt.1, Rt.272, Rt.273, & importantly I-95. During the summer, we are basically on our boat every other day on the North East River and Upper Chesapeake Bay area. Our marina, McDaniel Yacht Basin, is only a 15 minute drive away.

Enough ranting on my part. If you find this information helpful, feel free to send me a PM and I'd be happy to attempt to address any more of your questions or concerns regarding employment at Peach Bottom or living in the area.

-Allen

[johnnyhqle]

The drive to and from Peach Bottom was great. The majority of my drive was quiet and had little to no traffic. Roads had a lot of hills and curves which would have been more fun if I had my car (they gave me a Dodge Avenger ).

Maybe if they decide to call me back for an interview i'll explore the towns a bit.