In 2011, the U.S. cancelled funding for the Yucca Mountain Nuclear Waste Repository in Nevada. This meant that U.S. utilities and the U.S. federal government were left without a long term storage site for spent nuclear fuel which take thousand of years to decay. It is estimated that such a facility will not be available until 2050 at the earliest.
Part 2 of 3 Parts (Please read Part 1 first)
Since the Akkuyu nuclear power plant project was announced, supporters of nuclear energy in Turkey have said that it would help eliminate Turkey’s dependency on foreign energy suppliers. They emphasize that it is clean energy and will help mitigate climate change. Some international nuclear experts do not agree with the Turkish supporters.
France is one of the countries that has been affected by sandstorms carrying the residues of cesium137 generated by the nuclear tests that France conducted in the Sahara Desert in the 1960s. Experts have warned that the dust containing radioactive materials is expected be blown eastward and come down in Turkey in the near future. This will pose a threat to the health of Turkish citizens.