Utahns overwhelmingly support Hatch's efforts to win compensation for victims of nuclear testing and uranium mining, not only those in Utah who suffered disproportionately but those in surrounding states like Nevada, Arizona and Colorado. Some 87 percent of those polled said they strongly or somewhat support such compensation, while only 8 percent somewhat or strongly opposed it.

Distrust of the U.S. government appears to have carried over to ongoing efforts by a consortium of mostly Eastern nuclear power utilities to store 40,000 tons of spent nuclear fuel rods on Goshute Indian lands west of Salt Lake City. Supporters say it is safe and will provide economic development to impoverished Goshutes, while opponents say the temporary storage will become permanent and that storage of nuclear waste is lethally dangerous to Utah's residents and image.

The consortium currently has a license application pending before the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, and Gov. Mike Leavitt says he has no doubt the NRC will approve the license despite fierce state opposition.

Utahns are unequivocal in their opposition. When asked how they feel about the proposal, only 8 percent of those polled strongly or somewhat supported it. On the other side, 78 percent either strongly or somewhat opposed it.

Utahns are also distrustful of the government. When asked if they believed the federal government when it says storage of nuclear waste in above-ground cannisters is safe, 77 percent said they definitely or probably did not believe the government.

On the other hand, 18 percent said they definitely or probably believed the government.

That opposition reflects Utahns' general disdain for waste storage of any kind. When asked how concerned they were about Utah being home to hazardous waste and military disposal plants, 79 percent were very concerned or somewhat concerned, while only 19 percent were not concerned much or not concerned at all.

While trust in the federal government appears to be nearing rock bottom, state regulators fared somewhat better although there is room for improvement. About 44 percent said state regulation of waste industries is too lax, slightly more than the 39 percent that said it was about right. Only 3 percent said it was too strict.

The poll of 413 Utahns was conducted Nov. 18 to Dec. 2. It has a margin of error of plus or minus 5 percent.

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E-mail: spang@desnews.com