Ohe Genealogy

My Research

Chapter 17

Are Landmines Still Needed to Defend South Korea?
A Mine Use Case Study

Intro

In 1998, President Bill Clinton signed Presidential Decision Directive 64, which directed the Department of Defense (DOD) to end its commitment to anti-personnel landmines (APLs) outside of Korea by 2003 and within Korea by 2006. But an examination of the DOD’s efforts to end the reliance on APLs in Korea calls into question the DOD’s commitment to the Presidential Directive. The DOD has continued to rely on a misdirected study it commissioned from the National Research Council (NRC). This report, though thorough, fails to transcend current applications of alternative technologies, looking instead solely at physical replacements for APLs. U.S. efforts to end APL use have been hampered by misguided research for alternative technologies to APLs, and an overwhelming failure to consider doctrinal alternatives to those currently established in South Korea, which rely heavily on the use of APLs as the first level of defense against an attack by North Korea.

REPROCESSING SPENT FUEL FROM NUCLEAR POWER PLANTS:
IS IT A VIABLE PROCESS FOR THE UNITED STATES?

Ohe, Tony. Department of Environmental Analysis and Design

One of the major causes of global warming, the production of electricity through oil and coal burning power plants, can be eradicated through the use of nuclear power facilities. However, because the large annual yield of nuclear waste from these facilities, the concept of improving our environment by the use of nuclear energy is negated by the drawback of storing its hazardous waste. An alternative to long-term storage that could increase the environmental value of nuclear energy production is reprocessing the spent nuclear fuel

The purpose of this research is to analyze the development of Thermal Oxide Reprocessing to assess claims that such processing will not damage the environment and will permit 97% of spent fuel to be reused, and that only a minimal amount of hazardous waste will be stored in a solidified (glass) state. Furthermore, it will survey public opinion and understanding of nuclear power and reprocessing to determine if the US population will accept commercial reprocessing. Initial responses have demonstrated an acceptance of the process.