Since May 24, my Facebook friend Hugh Kaufman has had one persistent question about the response to the volcano of oil spewing under the Gulf of Mexico. "I would be grateful," he asked, "if someone could explain why millions of lbs. of useless toxic dispersant is being dumped into the Gulf, to add to the toxic loading?" Using the oil-cutting chemical makes sense for a little spill. But for the thick cloud of ooze stretching its way across the Gulf Coast? Good question, Hugh. So I asked the folks at the Environmental Protection Agency.