The temporary shutdown of a unit at Mexico's Laguna Verde nuclear power plant is the latest indication of the serious safety problems at the site, says environmental watchdog Greenpeace International. The Federal Electricity Commission decided to close the unit after leaks were detected in the water system. The plant spokespeople played down the incident, but Greenpeace, with documents in hand, charges that the installation is unsafe and should be shut down entirely.

The Laguna Verde plant is located on the coast of the Gulf of Mexico, 469 km from the capital. It has been in operation since 1990 and generates 3.6 percent of the country's electricity.