HARRISBURG -- Environmental groups are rallying to try to rescue two of Gov. Ed Rendell's cabinet members who face an uphill fight in the Senate to be reconfirmed for another four years.

PennFuture President John Hanger, Clean Air Council Director Michael Leone, Pennsylvania Environmental Council President Brian Hill and others said yesterday they will urge all 50 senators to vote on May 8 to reconfirm Department of Environmental Protection Secretary Kathleen McGinty and Conservation and Natural Resources Secretary Michael DiBerardinis.

On Wednesday, Senate Republican leaders asked Mr. Rendell to withdraw the two nominations so they could ask the state Ethics Commission about state grants that DEP and DNCR gave to environmental groups that employ the spouses of Ms. McGinty and Mr. DiBerardinis either on a full-time basis or as outside consultants.

Mr. Hanger, who served five years on the Public Utility Commission in the 1990s, claimed that questions being raised about the two Rendell aides is "a classic political smear campaign. These nominees are being unfairly attacked."

He said Ms. McGinty has been a strong advocate of cleaner air by enforcing tough car emissions rules and tough limits on mercury emissions by power plants, stances that have upset some pro-business GOP senators. He said Mr. DiBerardinis has worked to preserve state forests, open space and farmlands.

"We are going to make calls to senators on their behalf," said Mr. Hanger. "This is the beginning of a groundswell of support for these nominations. Katie McGinty and Mike DiBerardinis are truly outstanding public servants."

Erik Arneson, a Senate GOP spokesman, adamantly denied there was any kind of smear campaign going on. He said it's the Senate's duty to fully check the backgrounds and history of any cabinet officer, and information about the grants made by DEP and DCNR only came to light last Friday.

He said it's fair to ask the state Ethics Commission to report on whether the DEP/DCNR grants were proper or a possible conflict of interest. He said Democratic senators supported the call for a delay as well as Republicans, so partisan politics isn't a factor.

The Philadelphia Daily News reported last Friday that the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society had gotten $1.5 million in DCNR grants since Mr. DiBerardinis became boss in 2003. His wife, Joan Reilly, works for the group. The paper also said that Ms. McGinty's husband, Dr. Karl Hausker, is a consultant for PEC. That is Mr. Hill's group, which has gotten $2.6 million in DEP grants while Ms. McGinty was secretary. But it's also been rejected for nearly $5 million in grants since 2003, Mr. Hill said.