COLLEEN MCEDWARDS, WORLD NEWS: The only nuclear power plant in Mexico is causing concern among environmentalists. They say years of poor maintenance may lead to a serious accident. But energy officials say the plant is safe. CNN's Harris Whitbeck reports.</s>HARRIS WHITBECK, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Alarms sound in the control room of Mexico's Laguna Verde nuclear power plant, indicating the beginning of a meltdown. Technicians rush into action doing everything they can to prevent a major catastrophe. The scene is played out in a training simulator to show off the high level of safety training plant workers receive. Greenpeace and other environmental groups are not convinced. Citing a leaked copy of field notes taken by technicians from the World Association of Nuclear Operators, Greenpeace says the Laguna Verde plant should be closed for major repairs. Activists say there are major maintenance problems that could compromise safety at Mexico's only nuclear power plants. (on camera): Problems that go beyond simple nuts and bolts. The Union of Concerned Scientists, for example, says that maintenance problems are identified, but they're tolerated rather than corrected. (voice-over): Mexican energy authorities agree to a request by Greenpeace for an independent audit of safety procedures at the plant, located on the Gulf of Mexico across from Florida and Texas. "The energy commission is confident of plant safety standing up to any study by independent consultants, and that is why we agreed to Greenpeace's request," this commission member says. Administrators at the 10-year-old plant say the field notes cited by Greenpeace were taken out of context.</s>MIGUEL MEDINA, PLANT MANAGER: We do not know the environment or the purpose of the inspection or the evaluation, then you might get the wrong idea what it means.</s>WHITBECK: The wrong idea because inspectors were looking to see if the plant met standards of excellence, not minimum safety standards. While they recognize they could be tidier housekeepers, plant operators say they are more than confident of its safety. The independent audit is still months away. Harris Whitbeck, CNN, Laguna Verde, Mexico.
Greenpeace Questions Safety Of Mexico's Nuclear Power Plant