control. The directive states that BP must ramp down dispersant use by 75 percent from the maximum daily amount used. And that's the catch. The highest recorded amount of dispersant used occurred on May 23, when 70,000 gallons were injected into the Gulf of Mexico. EPA officials say they feared that number would have become the norm and that's why, they say, the directive was issued. This escalation was quickly reversed, ensuring BP only uses the lowest volume of dispersant needed, said Adora Andy, a spokeswoman for the EPA. But even by the EPA's own standards, BP still routinely exceeds the daily threshold. The EPA and Coast Guard say they 're trying to keep dispersant use to around 18,000 barrels a day. But according to CNN's analysis, BP has gone over that amount 50 percent of the time since the May 26 directive was issued. To do so, BP must request permission from the U.S. Coast Guard. Coast Guard officials say dispersant use is evaluated daily and that it's using the safest and most effective methods available to protect the sea environment. The EPA-Coast Guard directive has been successful in ensuring that BP uses the lowest volume of dispersant necessary, U.S. Coast Guard Lt. Erik Halvorson, a spokesman with the Unified Area Command. The EPA continues testing the chemical dispersant Corexit 9500, which has been used by BP since the beginning of the oil disaster. So