for research and production of nuclear energy. Transparency From the outset, Brazil's nuclear program has been shrouded in secrecy. Nuclear issues are still considered a matter of national security and sovereignty, despite Brazil's democratic makeup and transition away from military dictatorship. There is little transparency regarding the various nuclear activities under the government's purview and the potential impact these can have on public health and the environment. Moreover, numerous attempts to keep radioactive accidents and incidents secret have undermined credibility of nuclear enterprises and led to distrust among the public. In particular, local stakeholders based near uranium mines and nuclear facilities have expressed various nuclear-related concerns, ranging from impacts of uranium mining to the feasibility of the emergency plans. Political authorities and civil society organizations also complain about the lack of mechanisms to facilitate dialogue with the nuclear sector. The 2004 episode in which Brazil denied IAEA inspectors full visual access to its centrifuges also adds to these accusations, as does Brazil's persistent refusal to adhere to the Additional Protocol (AP). Costs of nuclear activities While it is difficult to determine the total cost of the country's nuclear program across its history, the construction of Angra 1 and Angra 2 cost US$12.5 billion. In 2008, the costs for the construction of Angra 3 were estimated in R$7.2 billion (US$3.4 billion). However, in 2010, that number was raised to R$10.4 billion (US$4.9 billion). This amount is in addition to the BR$1.5 billion (US$702 million) previously spent on the construction and the US$20 million spent annually with maintenance and storage of the equipment bought over 20 years ago. In December 2012, the official estimate for the total cost of this project was R$13.9 billion (US$6 billion). Several experts, like physicists and politicians Luiz Pinguelli Rosa and José Goldemberg, have voiced their opposition to Brazil's nuclear endeavor, calling it a very expensive source of energy. The anti-nuclear NGO Greenpeace consiers the costs associated with nuclear energy to be an obstacle to Brazilian development of a domestic renewable energy market. Contested legality of Angra 3 In November 2007, Greenpeace filed legal motions to block the construction of Angra 3, arguing it was unlawful and unconstitutional. Greenpeace's lawyer, José Afonso da Silva, issued a legal opinion contending that the creation of Angra 3 was not a legal act of the executive branch. Da Silva's legal opinion also affirmed that Articles 21, 49 and 225 of