WATERLOO - The term "earmark" is fast becoming a dirty word in today's political climate.

But leaders of programs slated to benefit from the Omnibus Appropriations Act of 2009 use other words to describe the federal dollars their Iowa congressional delegates managed to secure for them last week.

It's money that will be used to buy needed medical equipment for clinics, clean up a blighted Waterloo manufacturing site, help train workers and recruit school administrators in a down economy, fund programs designed to develop new uses for agricultural products or study ways to turn around flagging math and science education.

"In a word, I think it's great," said Waterloo Fire Chief Doug Carter, whose department received a $238,000 earmark sponsored by Sen. Tom Harkin to revive a fire safety program halted last October when nine years of previous grant funding expired. "We're excited to bring back a valuable program."

While Carter and his staff are waiting on details about the grant, it does include money to restart the Fire Pals program, which taught fire and home safety to children in the city's public and parochial schools, and also could fund a new program to work with mental health professionals and children who are prone to starting fires.

Carter credited retired firefighter Tom Powers for working on the applications and documents that secured the grant.

The city of Waterloo also received a $380,000 earmark, courtesy of Harkin, Sen. Chuck Grassley and Rep. Bruce Braley, to continue tearing down and cleaning up the blighted Chamberlain Manufacturing Co. site, which has been a bane on the surrounding neighborhoods along East Fourth Street and in the Gates Park area.

According to Taxpayers for Common Sense, a government watchdog group that compiled a list of earmarks in the omnibus spending bill, the University of Northern Iowa received four earmarks - five if you count $950,900 for the National Ag-Based Lubricants Center, a Waverly-based unit of UNI.

Braley, in a news release, said NABL will use the funding for applied research in biobased lubricants, helping to create commercial products that provide economic benefits for Iowa.

UNI also will receive more than $1.7 million in funding for projects like the National Institute for Early Math and Science Education and a new native seed testing lab.

Patricia Geadelmann, UNI's special assistant to the president for board and governmental relations, said the university groups are all grateful for the appropriation help.

"These projects will all help us serve our students and the people of this state better," she said.

The National Institute for Early Math and Science Education will receive $950,000. The program focuses on curriculum development and teaching methods for early childhood education in math and science.

"This is a high priority for the state and nation in terms of preparing more students. We are lagging behind the world in both student achievement and people pursuing these careers," she said. "This program will help us better prepare teachers to work with children in the early grades not only through our teacher preparation programs, but also in-service programs with teachers across the state."

The university will receive $298,000 for the native seed testing lab, which Geadelmann said will verify that the seeds being used to restore Iowa prairies truly are native to the area. The Minorities in the Leadership of Education program, a pilot program geared toward getting more minorities in leadership rolls in the schools, will receive $48,000.

The bill also includes $476,000 for new equipment that will be used in labs that support several degree programs in the School of Health, Physical Education and Leisure Services.

Hawkeye Community College in Waterloo received $238,000 for construction of the proposed Health Education and Services Center. It will be used to train health professionals and provide under-served communities with specialty health care services, including physical and occupational therapy.

"We are very excited about that," said Kathy Flynn, Hawkeye's vice president for advancement, noting Braley and the entire Iowa delegation has been "very supportive" of the project.

Construction could begin this spring on the $7.1 million center pending approval from the board of trustees. A voter-approved bond issue repaid with property taxes will fund the majority of the project.

Another $238,000 was earmarked for an advanced technology center at HCC.

The money also will be used to improve medical care.

Jim Waterbury, a spokesman for Allen Hospital, said administrators have worked closely with Grassley, Harkin and Braley for two years on an appropriation. The $428,000 will be used on the new Allen Emergency Department.

"Congress considers hospital emergency department funding a priority. Sixty Cedar Valley community leaders wrote letters and made phone calls supporting this appropriation, and we appreciate their support," Waterbury said.

Members of the Sac and Fox Tribe of the Mississippi in Iowa will receive $618,000, thanks to Grassley and Harkin, for a tribal health care clinic.

Jennifer Lightbody, executive director of Peoples Community Health Clinic in Waterloo, said the $57,000 Harkin helped secure for new equipment was essential to the operation of the nonprofit health care facility that serves the uninsured and underserved.

"This type of funding is really critical, especially for infrastructure," Lightbody said. "We don't generate a profit every year that we can set aside to buy new equipment or update our building.

"We've been (in the current site) for 10 years now and our building and some of our medical equipment is starting to wear out," she added. "We'll be doing what we can with this money to increase patient care."

According to Taxpayers for Common Sense, both of Iowa's senators were in the top 10 recipients of earmarks in the omnibus bill. Harkin was fourth with $292 million and Grassley was 10th at $199 million.

Braley said he helped secure $42 million for eastern Iowa projects.

Courier Staff Writers Emily Christensen and Andrew Wind contributed to this report.

Contact Tim Jamison at (319) 291-1577 or tim.jamison@wcfcourier.com.