Idaho's congressional delegation and Gov. Dirk Kempthorne attended the meeting to hear resident's concerns. U.S. Senator Larry Craig said the matter was particularly important to him.

"I can tell you my interest is personal," Craig said. "I was a child 7 to 10 years of age growing up in Washington County with my sister, drinking raw cows' milk."

But some residents took the lawmakers to task for allegedly being slow to step in.

"We have to look behind the warm smiles and thanking them for coming," said Peter Rickards, a podiatrist from Twin Falls. "This is the tip of the iceberg in Idaho."

Lin Hintze, a commissioner in Custer County, said delegates needed to help eastern Idaho residents get better insurance coverage for treatment and testing of radiation-related illnesses. Hintze brought with him a list of more than 100 people who have had cancer in his area. He told the panel he came up with the list off the top of his head, and there were likely many more.

The Board on Radiation Effects Research has already held similar meetings in Utah and Arizona. The board's report to Congress is expected to be released in March.