Leopold orders strict Critical Area enforcement

County Executive John R. Leopold signed an executive order yesterday committing his administration to prosecute all environmental violators.

A reaction to the county Board of Appeals decision to let a man keep the island home he built without permits, Mr. Leopold's order says an array of offenses under state and county law will be sent to the Maryland attorney general for prosecution.

That includes cases such as polluting waters with soil or sediment, grading or disturbing land without sediment controls, and developing without a stormwater management plan.

The law already allows such legal action toward violators, but...