A group concerned about injuries from nuclear-weapons testing is disappointed that former Utah Gov. Mike Leavitt has not released a study concerning fallout damage.

"We had hoped that when Gov. Leavitt became secretary of Health and Human Services he would intervene to make the final report public, because of Utahns' long-term concern about this issue," said Bob Schaeffer, public education consultant for the national group, Alliance for Nuclear Accountability. Based in Washington, D.C., he was interviewed by telephone on Thursday.

The alliance announced that it filed a Freedom of Information Act request with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services on Thursday, seeking release of the final version of a report by the agency's Centers for Disease Control.

Titled "Feasibility Study of the Health Consequences to American People from Nuclear Weapons Tests Conducted by the United States and Other Nations," the final report has not been released, years after a draft copy was made public.

By coincidence, the group's action came two days after the Deseret Morning News had filed its own FOIA request for the same final report. The newspaper also requested all correspondence, including e-mail, that could show why the report's release has been delayed.

Schaeffer said the alliance has been "trying to press the government to make increasingly detailed information available to the public and policymakers about the health consequences of nuclear weapons."

The reasons are dual, he said: First, Americans have the right to know what happened concerning nuclear-weapons testing, and "we are eager to see federal compensation programs extended to all those who were damaged by testing and related activity."

A draft report on the feasibility of studying health consequences was completed more than four years ago, he said. "We kind of forced it into the public domain," Schaeffer added. Then federal officials said they would not make recommendations on the report until it had undergone technical review by the National Academy of Sciences, he said.

The review was completed in 2003, but the final report has not been released, he said.

The group had hoped Leavitt would dislodge the report after he became head of the Department of Health and Human Services in February 2005. But that didn't happen, he said.

"It was a frustrating experience with no response," he said of attempts to get Leavitt to act.

In addition to the FOIA request, the alliance sent a letter to Sen. Tom Harkin, D-Iowa, along with copies to members of the Utah delegation.

"It is long past time for the government to be forthcoming in releasing the CDC-NCI (Centers for Disease Control-National Cancer Institute) report," says the letter, signed by Susan Gordon, director of the alliance.

"We will keep you informed as our FOIA request moves forward, and would appreciate any assistance you can offer this report to finally see the light of day."

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E-mail: bau@desnews.com