The Ontario government just threw the future of Atomic Energy of Canada Ltd. into further doubt yesterday when energy minister George Smitherman announced the province will not proceed with the purchase of new nuclear reactors, at least for the time being.

In the July 21, 2008 Briefcase we noted that uranium producer Cameco Corp. told the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission in May that leaks of uranium, arsenic and fluorides from Cameco's Port Hope, Ont., conversion facility may have polluted Lake Ontario. Well, the facility, which Cameco voluntarily shut down in July ...