Training Course (TC) FAQ

Who is the TC Director and how can I contact him? [back to top]

The TC Director is Lawrence E. (Larry) Boing.

Read Larry Boing's Executive Bio

Contact:
Lawrence E. Boing
Director, Decommissioning TC
D&D Program
Argonne National Laboratory
Building 208 - G112
9700 South Cass Avenue
Argonne, IL 60439-4814, USA
Phone:   +1 630-252-6729
Fax:   +1 630-252-7577

What time is it now in Argonne? [back to top]

The current local time in Argonne (Chicago) is:

For local times in the various TC locations follow the link "Details..." in the Courses Schedule.

Why attend a training course on Decommissioning of Nuclear Facilities? The process seems rather easy to undertake and straight forward as well. [back to top]

The training course serves to pull all relevant resources together in one place, presented by seasoned presenters to allow attendees to quickly understand the breadth of the decommissioning process. These resources have traditionally been scattered among many different valuable references, prepared by many different entities - some including regulators and others implementers. Many past attendees have remarked at how involved this process is - and how valuable the course was to assisting them in getting through difficult to navigate process areas that they initially had not fully understood and thought would be no problem.

The expression - 'an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure' - is appropriate - it was relayed to us by a group of past attendees as they prepared to start a project.

Read also "Why attend?" to discover more reasons why attending one of our Training Courses should be in your list of career objectives.

What is and what is not included in the TC registration fee? [back to top]

The TC registration fee includes one copy of the TC materials. Namely: the TC registration fee includes either 1-hard copy or 1-USB stick / 1-CD of the main training course materials. NOTE: Not necessarily every single item is available electronically; therefore some may still be in hard copy. We can get you both upon request, however we will have to charge you an additional $100 USD.
People registering only as exhibitors will not receive a copy of the training materials.

The attendee is fully responsible for all travel related costs (lodging, per diem, etc) and all other attendance related costs. In other words: Course prices do not cover travel or accommodation costs. You are responsible for making your transportation and hotel arrangements.

How do I register for a TC? [back to top]

First check the list of the upcoming TCs in our TC calendar page and see which is the most convenient for you. You can register directly for the required course/location via the online registration form accessed directly when you select one of the "Register" links in our website. If you have any questions or prefer to speak with the TC Director directly, please submit your query via the "Contact us" link. See also previous Question for a list of all contact coordinates to get in touch with the TC Director.

How can I pay the required registration fee for a course? [back to top]

• Credit Card payment (starting from January 2012): Starting with the first TC session in 2012, we will be using a new registration service that allows us to accept online credit card payments (accepted: Visa, Mastercard, Discover, Diners Club, American Express).
• Check payment: Corporate and personal checks are also acceptable for payment. Once you have registered submitting the online form or faxing its pdf equivalent, make a check payable to "Argonne National Laboratory" and mail it at least 2 weeks before the dates for the course to the following address:
  Attention: Judy Benigno
  Argonne National Laboratory
  Conference Services
  Bldg. 201-2S-04
  9700 South Cass Avenue
  Argonne, IL  60439
  United States of America
• Other accepted payment methods: Purchase Order, DOE SF 182 and NRC Form 368.

Are you accepting foreign currencies for payment? [back to top]

NO, we only accept payment in US dollars.

Which are your Federal ID and Company Reference? [back to top]

Company Reference
UChicago Argonne, LLC
Federal ID number
68-0628477

I can't pay using any of the methods mentioned above. What now? [back to top]

If you will not be able to pay the registration fee using any of the above methods, please contact the TC Director prior to the training course (see above for contact coordinates).
Attendees wishing to pay via bank transfer must have completed the online registration first. We can send the bank information for a wire transfer payment only after you have officially registered for one of our training courses requesting to pay via bank transfer.

I am not sure if I may qualify for a reduced rate. How do I find out if I qualify?

Universities and other small businesses may qualify for a reduced rate. If you believe that you or your company might qualify for these rates please contact the TC Director (see above for contact coordinates).

Can I stack discounts in making payment of my registration fees to attend the TC? [back to top]

Attendees qualifying for a reduced rate (universities, small businesses) will not be eligible for additional discounts off the reduced rate.
In other words, stacking of discounts (reduced rate + other discount) is not possible.

I am attending an on-site TC at Argonne; are there any special requirements to access Argonne during the TC? [back to top]

YES. Please see “Requirements to Access Argonne Site”.

I cannot attend personally the scheduled course. Can I send a substitute? [back to top]

This is acceptable – but please forward the details of the replacement to the staff. See also next Question.

When can attendees cancel and under what conditions? [back to top]

• If an attendee has registered for a course and can no longer be present, he/she can nominate another person to attend. All requests must be received in a written format and can be emailed to TC Director (see above for contact coordinates) the week before the TC starts. We require that the request include the new attendee's name, email address and telephone number.
• If an attendee cannot attend the first day of class but will arrive later, he/she must notify D&D; he/she will be considered a No-Show without prior notification. Notifications can be emailed to to TC Director (see above for contact coordinates) the week before the TC starts.
• No-shows are non-refundable, but can be rescheduled.

Under what rare circumstances could a TC session be cancelled? [back to top]

On the rare occasion that we must cancel a session:

• We will post an update to the website as soon as possible to reflect the training course cancellation.
• Those already registered will be sent an email notifying them of the cancellation and a request for a 'confirmation of receipt' of that emailed Course Cancellation Notice be sent to us. In other words: if an attendee receives the Course Cancellation Notice email s/he must confirm receipt of that email.
• All attendees are required to provide -at the time of registration- a secondary point of contact at their organization for Argonne to contact and notify of the cancellation as well in case the first notification cannot reach the registered attendee.
• Questions are to be addressed to the TC Registrar and the TC Director:
  
  Judy Benigno, Registrar
  Phone:   +1 630-252-5586;   Fax:   +1 630-252-5533;   Email:  
  Larry Boing, TC Director
  Phone:   +1 630-252-6729;   Fax:   +1 630-252-7577;   Email:  

Will I receive a Certificate upon completion of the course? And what about Continuing Education Units (CEUs)? [back to top]

Our TC is useful to obtain the required continuing education credits for on-going education requirements that the various professional certifications and sanctioning bodies require - such as the PMP, CHP, PE and others.
Upon completion of your course, you will receive a certificate of completion.  If you need any certifications or letters to support CEU credits we will be more than happy to assist you however we can. The American Academy of Health Physics has granted 16 credits for this course. We will be happy to assist attendees in providing to them whatever documentation they need to request receiving CEUs for this training.  Any questions should be addressed to the Course Director (see above for contact coordinates).

Are you offering a "Decommissioning Certificate" Program? [back to top]

YES, since Apr. 1st, 2009.
For more information visit the "Decommissioning Certificate" Program page. The "Decommissioning Certificate" Program is a new certification program being offered jointly by Argonne National Laboratory (Argonne) and Oak Ridge Associated Universities (ORAU).

What is the attire needed for the TC? [back to top]

Casual business attire will do.

What time does the class start/end? [back to top]

Generally speaking we try to bracket the daily training period 830 AM - 400 PM for the days activities - however - on some days we do run longer than that. Typically on the last day we are finished by 300 PM at the latest unless we have a site tour planned.

What about lunch during a TC? [back to top]

Lunch is typically handled individually by attendees.

What languages are used to deliver training? [back to top]

All courses are delivered in English.

Can we audio record or videorecord the TC? [back to top]

There is no videotaping or recording of any material allowed.

Is there a guarantee that I will be given access to facilities/sites to be toured as part of a particular TC? [back to top]

Tour access to facilities/sites to be toured even as a part of a particular TC by the TC participants is solely at the discretion of the operating organization at which the tour is being offered. We cannot and do not guarantee access to any site/facility for that tour - that access authorization is based solely upon the site or facility access authority and their requirements and conditions for access. We apologize in advance if this causes anyone difficulties.