[gwb16]

Still Kickin,
We had a pretty sharp downturn in Navy work and in the interest of KEEPING a SKILLED workforce in place, the "TEAM" decided to give a go at the commercial world. We hadn't built or designed a commercial vessel in many years. It was like starting all over again. The figures that we were given were based on all costs, overhead, hourly rates, taxes, the whole deal. When you talk about hourly rates, two of those countries can pretty much be classified as 3rd world countries. Their cost of living is peanuts compared to us.

I took the Apprentice School route, was a Pipefitter and PROUD Union member for 9 years, went to school PT and eventually transferred into Design Engineering. I worked A4W Nuclear Testing for 5 years before heading into Design. I currently work at a Nuclear Power Plant today, as Mechanical and Civil Designer. Been here going on 11 years now. The Shipyard was a good place to work. The pay rate lacks today. Years ago it was hands down tops in the area. That was part of the reason I applied for my current job, looking to get that leg up. It's worked out quite well for me. I got a little lucky with the timing. You know how that goes. Work at the Yard was challenging. Something new just about everyday. I hated to quit, I truly enjoyed the work and the people but I was trying to raise two kids and keep my bride happy! LOL!

Sadly, we only built one Tanker, The American Progress. She was a good ship. MASSIVE Diesel Engine, thing had about an 8 foot stroke.

Interesting thing about the Danish Shipyard, they owned their own valve and fittings manufacturing companies, so their material costs were much lower. It was a good project to work on. They KILLED us with OT though. 7 days a week for months on end, 12 hour + days.

Mobil swooped in to buy the ship after the Greek company (Elletson - I think) bailed on us, we were behind schedule and they weren't willing to wait for delivery. Originally we were to build 4 or 5 of the Tankers. But the first, sadly was our last.

Here she is --> http://www.shipspotting.com/gallery/...php?lid=276470

[Still Kickin]

It's good talking to a person from Virginia. The American Progress is a good looking tanker, but your Aircraft Carriers and Submarines are much more impressive. Lots of good experience working there at NNS. Sometimes I wish I had taken that job back in '72.

We have a mountain here in Nevada called Yucca, ever heard of it? It's not a really big mountain, but it's got a deep cavern in it and it sets way out in the desert all by itself. We've spent millions of dollars getting it ready, testing for underground water leakage, looking for fault lines and it seems to be water tight and stable. We're waiting to fill it up. Send us your Nuclear waste, we need the jobs.

[powerlabs]

Originally Posted by Still Kickin

It's good talking to a person from Virginia. The American Progress is a good looking tanker, but your Aircraft Carriers and Submarines are much more impressive. Lots of good experience working there at NNS. Sometimes I wish I had taken that job back in '72.

We have a mountain here in Nevada called Yacca, ever heard of it? It's not a really big mountain, but it's got a deep cavern in it and it sets way out in the desert all by itself. We've spent millions of dollars getting it ready, testing for underground water leakage, looking for fault lines and it seems to be water tight and stable. We're waiting to fill it up. Send us your Nuclear waste, we need the jobs.

Isn't it "Yucca Mountain"? We talked about that back on my first job when I worked at Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Station. IMHO disposing of Nuclear waste is a huge waste; spent nuclear fuel is still a good 98 - 96% energy or so; just have to recycle it...

[gwb16]

Originally Posted by Still Kickin

It's good talking to a person from Virginia. The American Progress is a good looking tanker, but your Aircraft Carriers and Submarines are much more impressive. Lots of good experience working there at NNS. Sometimes I wish I had taken that job back in '72.

We have a mountain here in Nevada called Yacca, ever heard of it? It's not a really big mountain, but it's got a deep cavern in it and it sets way out in the desert all by itself. We've spent millions of dollars getting it ready, testing for underground water leakage, looking for fault lines and it seems to be water tight and stable. We're waiting to fill it up. Send us your Nuclear waste, we need the jobs.

Too many people dead set against it and Obama already shelved it. So we continue to store it.

Shipyard gave me the chance to develop a very good knowledge base. Learned a lot of valuable lessons in my time there and thankful for all of it.

Subs were fun to work on but Carriers are an amazingly unreal piece of artwork. I went on three Sea Trial trips while I was there. Lincoln, Washington and the Stennis. It was fun, for a week, put me on there for 6 months, I may not feel the same way - LOL!

[Vettemagnet]

Originally Posted by Still Kickin

It's good talking to a person from Virginia. The American Progress is a good looking tanker, but your Aircraft Carriers and Submarines are much more impressive. Lots of good experience working there at NNS. Sometimes I wish I had taken that job back in '72.

We have a mountain here in Nevada called Yacca, ever heard of it? It's not a really big mountain, but it's got a deep cavern in it and it sets way out in the desert all by itself. We've spent millions of dollars getting it ready, testing for underground water leakage, looking for fault lines and it seems to be water tight and stable. We're waiting to fill it up. Send us your Nuclear waste, we need the jobs.

It's a better solution than storing a bunch of nuclear waste from DOE in the Salado salt formation in New Mexico (also known as WIPP). I don't think commercial waste is stored there yet.

Salt and steel drums are probably not the best combination. Most of the really hot stuff is probably encapsulated in concrete in a lined drum.

I spent a few years wearing dosimeter and had times in an RBA. No thanks!!!!

[Still Kickin]

LOL... Fixed it, thanks powerlabs I did spell it wrong, I should wear my glasses more often.

I agree powerlabs, there is still at least 95% energy left. Why has no one come up with a plan to recycle it... and use it for something?? I don't understand this, it's energy and it's just setting there. It could be used for what another 7,000 to 2,000,000 years, depending if it's uranium-234 (half-life 245,500 years), neptunium-237 (half-life two million years), plutonium-238 (half-life 87.7 years) and americium-241 (half-life 7,370 years). Did I get these numbers right gwb16?

Yucca Mountain isn't dead yet, every so often we hear about it here. They are still maintaining and working on it out there. It's about 50 - 50 here. Some locals agree with it and guys working at the test site say there's no problem with storing it here, transporting it is safe and it would bring in more jobs. The other 50% of the people are worried about earthquakes, underground water leakage, but most are worried about the transportation of the waste, and going through some populated areas.
Harry Reid will have to retire before it's shipped here.

What's RBA Vettemagnet?

[c6vette]

Originally Posted by fishslayer143@yahoo.com

..our US Treasury Secretary, no college degree at all,

Given the state of our economy, maybe we should start requiring the US Treasury Secretary to have a degree.

[fishslayer143@yahoo.com]

Originally Posted by c6vette

Given the state of our economy, maybe we should start requiring the US Treasury Secretary to have a degree.

I would be happy if they just had a clue what they were doing! LOL! It seems to me that everyone in Washington is only concerned with reelection and pandering and not our country.

[gwb16]

Originally Posted by Still Kickin

It could be used for what another 7,000 to 2,000,000 years, depending if it's uranium-234 (half-life 245,500 years), neptunium-237 (half-life two million years), plutonium-238 (half-life 87.7 years) and americium-241 (half-life 7,370 years). Did I get these numbers right gwb16?

The hell if I know! I don't deal with the nuclear physics of the reaction. I provide support to keep the mechanical parts and pieces in good shape! LOL! We have Nuclear Physicists to crunch those numbers! They're much smarter than me! LOL!

What confuses me is the 50/50 split for and against. I had read that there were some states that said that there was no way they would issue the permits to ship the nuclear waste through their states - by rail or truck. Those decisions will be made by more important than me.

We've been having some local discussions about offshore wind turbines, off of the Eastern Shore of VA, that's even getting blown up by the Sierra club et al.....afraid that migratory birds would be killed. These same people will scream and yell when their power bill increases 5% or if they have rolling blackouts.

[Vettemagnet]

Originally Posted by Still Kickin

What's RBA Vettemagnet?

A radiological buffer area.

A boundary for minimizing exposures to radiation or contamination.