The orientation will start promptly so it is highly recommended you arrive a minimum of 30 minutes before the scheduled start time to allow sufficient time to check in and walk to the classroom.  Anyone travelling more than two hours to reach the site should strongly consider traveling to the Scottsboro, AL area the night before the orientation begins. 

Since nuclear fuel was never loaded in this facility, there are no radiation areas, offering the chance to see parts of a plant that are not accessible at an operational site.  After a short site introduction and safety briefing, participants will visit the containment building, the turbine deck, the auxiliary building, the emergency diesel generators, fresh and spent fuel handling areas, the control room, exterior features and the cooling towers. 

The Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) owns this site.  The recently renewed Memorandum of Understanding with TVA limits participation to NRC employees and to tribal, state, county or local government employees who may be responders to radiological emergencies or accidents in their respective jurisdictions.  Participants must bring their government employee identification.

This is an industrial environment, so participants must wear long pants and sturdy leather shoes.  Steel- or safety-toed shoes are not required, but shoes must be enclosed and have a flat base (i.e., no high heels or sandals), as there will be numerous stairs to climb and gratings to cross.  Cloth-upper sneakers shall not be worn.  The plant spaces are not heated or cooled, and July in Alabama is hot, so plan to dress accordingly.

Hardhats, safety glasses, gloves and flashlights will be provided, but students are welcome to bring their own if they conform to current OSHA standards.  Please understand this visit can be physically challenging, so let us know if reasonable accommodations need to be made.

There is no cost for the orientation.  Participating offices are responsible for their employee’s travel expenses.  Lodging and restaurants may be found in Scottsboro, AL, about four miles south of the site. 

No food is available on the site and given the time constraints, students should plan to bring their own lunch.  There are several grocery stores in Scottsboro where lunch items can be purchased the evening before the orientation. The Bellefonte site has refrigerators, and microwave ovens for those wishing to bring their lunches.  Bottled water is provided as a safety item by the site.  There is no available Wi-Fi at the site.