JOPPA, MD—Baltimore County Councilman David Marks said on Thursday that he had received word from the Maryland Department of the Environment that Mountain Christian Church has withdrawn its request for a permit to discharge treated wastewater near the Little Gunpowder Falls.

The plan met resistance from numerous Kingsville, White Marsh, and Joppa residents and environmentalists such as the Gunpowder Riverkeeper.

The announcement comes nearly three months after the Baltimore County Council unanimously passed a resolution sponsored by Councilman Marks that urged an alternative to the church’s proposal.

“The Gunpowder River Valley is one of the most spectacular parts of Baltimore and Harford Counties, and I am glad that the church’s proposal will not advance,” said Councilman Marks. “I am glad the Mountain Christian Church has come to the conclusion that an on-site system is preferable to any proposed discharge into our waterways.”

The church’s full statement can be found here: https://www.mountaincc.org/watertreatment.