Whatever that means.

The decision to stop the proposed measure came a few months after getting the green light from the Indiana Department of Environmental Management to go ahead and dump 54 percent more ammonia and 35 percent more suspended solids into the Lake Michigan. BP’s choice to cut its dumping proposal is an important victory in an ongoing saga of oil crises.

Environmentalists should be applauded for their pivotal role in pressuring a giant oil company into listening.

Whether BP wanted to admit the public outcry or not as one of the reasons for scrapping its plan, the company stated it was concerned about regulations, and spending extra time and money.

And regardless of why the company decided to change its original plans, at least a positive outcome was reached.

The fact that the public outcry was clear and free of lobbyists’ interference also should encourage environmental groups to speak out and continue to protect the Great Lakes.

If protesters can sway big industries as heavily as they did in this instance, environmentalists might be able to prevent further outrages from happening.

While BP’s decision to cut the dumping comes as a heavy sigh of relief, it also creates some disturbing questions.

How did the oil company gain clearance to increase its dumping amounts by such high percentages?

If the measures had succeeded, how much would the increased discharges have damaged Lake Michigan’s already overpolluted waters?

Tourism is Michigan’s second largest moneymaker, and the Great Lakes provide one of the most interesting tourist destinations statewide.

Further pollution will only deprive Michigan of some of the tourists that it counts on during economic hard times. And scaring away those tourists will only further the state’s dismal economy.

Despite being pressured to ditch its plan, BP deserves some credit for listening to the public and following through with its wishes.

The oil company also announced it would grant Purdue University $5 million to help support its study in finding ways to improve waste treatments in the Great Lakes.

This move will both help in finding ways to stop further pollution, as well as assist the company in maintaining a green image.

And good for them for doing it.

Although the company has decided not to dump the excess wastes in Lake Michigan, its regular dumps will unfortunately continue to find residence at the bottom of the Great Lakes.

Environmentalists won a key victory, but the war against giant oil companies is far from over.