Kazakhstan faces up to the legacy of Soviet weapons testing in a referendum on nuclear power

MOSCOW (AP) — Polls are open in Kazakhstan for a landmark referendum on building the country’s first nuclear power plant. The proposal is backed by Kazakhstan’s government and the country’s president, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, who hopes to boost the country’s energy security. However, the use of nuclear materials remains a controversial and often sensitive topic in Kazakhstan, which was used as a testing ground for the Soviet Union’s nuclear program. Critics have also drawn attention to the project’s high costs and potential Russian involvement.