A key part of the EA process for the proposed expansion of the Warwick landfill site has been the development of discussion papers. Rather than wait until the end of the process to publish a multi-volume Environmental Assessment Report, WM decided that consultation would be more meaningful if it took place through a series of discussion papers issued as the EA progressed.

Each Discussion Paper that has or will be released is followed by a newsletter that is distributed to the public by mail or available at the Landfill Expansion Information Centre on Nauvoo Road in Watford.

As part of the discussion paper process, WM provided funding to the Township of Warwick to hire its own team of independent technical experts to review the reports generated by WM's technical team. The independent experts are known as the Peer Review Team. The Township is responsible for the management of the peer review process, and the peer review reports are available to the general public and the Environmental Assessment Study Group (EASG).

The discussion papers are prepared in three steps:

• A draft discussion paper is provided for review by the public, stakeholder groups, peer review team, government agencies.
  
  
• Comments and suggestions are received and recorded.
  
  
• A final discussion paper is issued that includes all comments received, and WM's responses.