Despite the increasing need for electricity, especially from nonpolluting sources, in many countries the investments in new nuclear plants are limited at best. The reason: fear of accidents. An accident at a nuclear plant can have widespread consequences for the general population around the plant and beyond. This is very different from fossil-fuel power sources. People working in the industry—for example, coal miners—face risks, but the people living near the mine or the plant generating electricity are not at risk during an accident.