The Kazakh Prosecutor-General's Office said on September 12 that four individuals and two companies have been fined for holding opinion polls on the issue of the construction of a controversial nuclear power station. The unidentified persons and companies were found guilty of failing to inform the authorities about their intention to conduct the opinion polls. A nationwide referendum on the issue is scheduled for October 6. Nuclear power-related projects have been a controversial issue in Kazakhstan, where the environment was severely impacted by operations at the now defunct Soviet-era Semipalatinsk nuclear test site and the Baikonur spaceport, which is still operated by Moscow. To read the original story by RFE/RL's Kazakh Service, click here.
4 People, 2 Companies Fined In Kazakhstan Over Polls On Possible Nuclear Power Station
Kazakh activists in Almaty announce the formation of a group opposing the government's plan to construct a nuclear power station on September 10.