In December 2000, the Russian Duma amended the environmental law to allow for the import and storage of radioactive waste on the territory of Russia. A popular petition for a nuclear waste import ban officially received 1.9 signatures, unofficially 2.5 million. Opinion polls carried out by independent agencies showed that 93.5 % of Russian people were against the import. The projected 20 billion dollar income from the recycling of imported used nuclear fuel is intended to pay for recycling of Russian used nuclear fuel and to finance the construction of 29 new nuclear power stations, which will require 58 billion dollars from other sources.