The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) apologized Thursday after mistakenly sending a news release that criticized President Trump’s executive order on climate change policies.

In the release, the EPA included quotes praising Trump’s Tuesday order to start undoing former President Barack Obama Barack Hussein ObamaObama calls on Senate not to fill Ginsburg's vacancy until after election Senate Republicans face tough decision on replacing Ginsburg Cruz: Trump should nominate a Supreme Court justice next week MORE’s climate actions, but it misattributed a negative statement to Sen. Shelley Moore Capito Shelley Wellons Moore CapitoSecond GOP senator to quarantine after exposure to coronavirus GOP senator to quarantine after coronavirus exposure Hillicon Valley: Zuckerberg acknowledges failure to take down Kenosha military group despite warnings | Election officials push back against concerns over mail-in voting, drop boxes MORE (R-W.Va.).

“With this Executive Order, President Trump has chosen to recklessly bury his head in the sand. Walking away from the Clean Power Plan and other climate initiatives, including critical resiliency projects is not just irresponsible — it’s irrational,” it quoted Capito as saying.

ADVERTISEMENT

“Today’s executive order calls into question America’s credibility and our commitment to tackling the greatest environmental challenge of our lifetime."

However, that statement actually came from Sen. Tom Carper Thomas (Tom) Richard CarperDemocrat asks for probe of EPA's use of politically appointed lawyers Overnight Energy: Study links coronavirus mortality to air pollution exposure | Low-income, minority households pay more for utilities: report OVERNIGHT ENERGY: Democrats push resolution to battle climate change, sluggish economy and racial injustice | Senators reach compromise on greenhouse gas amendment stalling energy bill | Trump courts Florida voters with offshore drilling moratorium MORE (Del.), the top Democrat on the Environment and Public Works Committee and a harsh critic of Trump’s environmental agenda.

“Sen. Carper is happy to lend his words to a good cause,” a Carper spokeswoman said.

Capito, by contrast, cheered Trump’s order on Tuesday.

“Stopping this disastrous plan will preserve America’s coal industry, expand our manufacturing renaissance that is reliant upon affordable energy, and protect American families from unprecedented hikes in their electric bills,” she said in a statement.

Capito attended the signing ceremony Tuesday, and Trump thanked her in his speech.

The EPA sent out a corrected version of the release later Thursday morning, with Capito’s actual quote.

EPA spokesman John Konkus said the agency’s press office accidentally sent a draft version of the release.

“We apologize for the error and are making sure that our process is improved as we build our team,” he said.

The mistake came amid a rift between many of the EPA’s nonpolitical career employees and the political leaders appointed by Trump, including EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt.

Some EPA employees have made their objections known, including through a campaign to lobby the Senate against Pruitt’s confirmation.

An EPA scientist explained his concerns in a letter to The New York Times published Wednesday.

“I am very saddened by what I see these days under an E.P.A. administrator whose role it is to dismantle the agency that he leads,” wrote Michael Kravitz, who works in Cincinnati.