On Oct. 17, the U.S. Environment Protection Agency's (EPA) Science Advisory Board Panel (SAB) released its review of EPA's draft report on the Connectivity of Streams and Wetlands to Downstream Waters: A Review and Synthesis of the Scientific Evidence. The draft report has been used as the scientific basis for the EPA and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' jointly proposed rule to amend the definition of "Waters of the U.S."; one of the many concerns raised by the National Association of Counties (NACo) is that the proposed rule was released before the connectivity report has been finalized, meaning that the agencies may be missing a valuable opportunity to review comments or concerns raised in the final report that would inform development of the proposed rule.

The more than 100-page SAB review agrees with EPA's assessment that streams and wetlands are connected with larger water bodies such as rivers, lakes, estuaries and oceans, but also suggests that these "connections should be considered in terms of a connectivity gradient." The recommendations include defining connectivity based on the "frequency, duration, magnitude, predictability, and consequences of those connections," although the review also notes that streams that show low connection may also impact downstream waters significantly. Further, the SAB recommended revisions to improve the clarity of the report, better reflect the scientific evidence, expand the discussion of approaches to quantifying connectivity, and make the document more useful to decision-makers.

In the last voting days of the 2013-2014 session, the House Local Government Committee advanced legislation intended to increase investment instruments for local governments.

As approved by the Senate in June, SB 1207, introduced by Sen. Dominic Pileggi (R-Delaware), would expand the list of permitted investments for all local governments to add higher yield money market instruments such as commercial paper, repurchase agreements, negotiable certificates of deposit, bankers' acceptances and corporate notes. Each level of government already has its own statute defining those investment instruments they are permitted to use; under section 1706 of the County Code, counties may currently invest in U.S. Treasury bills, short-term bond obligations, savings accounts and time deposits, federal, state and local government bonds, shares of an investment company, certificates of deposit, and commercial paper. Senate Bill 1207 assures that local governments may still use those investment tools as authorized by their individual statutes.

The House committee considered several amendments to the bill during its Oct. 14 meeting. One offered by committee chair Rep. Kate Harper (R-Montgomery) would limit the new investment products under SB 1207 to use by a local government investment trust or pool rather than directly by local governments, although the amendment would still maintain the existing investment authorities of individual local governments. In addition, Rep. Lee James (R-Venango) offered an amendment to remove the authorization for local government investment trusts and pools to use corporate notes and shares of a registered investment company, while an amendment introduced by Democratic chair Bob Freeman (Northampton) would require the investment trust or pool to file an annual report with the Department of Community and Economic Development regarding any of the newly authorized investments under the bill.