PENSION AND OTHER POSTRETIREMENT BENEFIT PLANS - Additional Information (Detail) (USD $)	3 Months Ended			6 Months Ended	12 Months Ended			3 Months Ended	12 Months Ended			3 Months Ended	12 Months Ended					3 Months Ended			12 Months Ended		3 Months Ended	12 Months Ended			12 Months Ended					12 Months Ended		3 Months Ended	12 Months Ended			3 Months Ended	12 Months Ended		3 Months Ended		12 Months Ended								12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2009	Sep. 30, 2009	Mar. 31, 2009	Dec. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010	Dec. 31, 2009	Dec. 31, 2011 Qualified and Registered Pension Plans	Dec. 31, 2011 Qualified and Registered Pension Plans	Dec. 31, 2010 Qualified and Registered Pension Plans	Dec. 31, 2009 Qualified and Registered Pension Plans	Jun. 30, 2011 Pension	Dec. 31, 2011 Pension	Dec. 31, 2010 Pension	Dec. 31, 2009 Pension	Dec. 31, 2011 United States Pension Plans	Dec. 31, 2010 United States Pension Plans	Dec. 31, 2011 Canadian Pension Plans	Dec. 31, 2011 United States Other Postretirement Benefit Plans	Dec. 31, 2009 United States Other Postretirement Benefit Plans	Dec. 31, 2009 United States Other Postretirement Benefit Plans	Sep. 30, 2010 United States Other Postretirement Benefit Plans	Sep. 30, 2009 Canadian Other Postretirement Benefit Plans	Dec. 31, 2010 Canadian Other Postretirement Benefit Plans	Dec. 31, 2009 Canadian Other Postretirement Benefit Plans	Dec. 31, 2011 Registered and Non registered Canadian Pension Plans	Dec. 31, 2011 Other Postretirement Benefits	Dec. 31, 2010 Other Postretirement Benefits	Dec. 31, 2009 Other Postretirement Benefits	Dec. 31, 2011 Non-Qualified U.S. Pension Plans	Dec. 31, 2011 Qualified U.S. Pension Plans	Dec. 31, 2011 Canadian Registered Pension Plan	Dec. 31, 2011 Non Qualified and Nonregistered Pension Plans	Dec. 31, 2011 Non Registered Canadian Pension Plans	Dec. 31, 2011 Non Registered Canadian Pension Plans	Dec. 31, 2010 Non Registered Canadian Pension Plans	Dec. 31, 2009 Non Registered Canadian Pension Plans	Sep. 30, 2011 Hardwoods: Pension	Dec. 31, 2011 Canada	Dec. 31, 2010 Canada	Dec. 31, 2009 United States	Sep. 30, 2009 United States	Dec. 31, 2011 United States	Dec. 31, 2010 United States	Dec. 31, 2009 United States	Dec. 31, 2011 Fair Value, Inputs, Level 3 Pension	Dec. 31, 2010 Fair Value, Inputs, Level 3 Pension	Dec. 31, 2009 Fair Value, Inputs, Level 3 Pension	Dec. 31, 2011 Fair Value, Inputs, Level 3 Non Registered Canadian Pension Plans	Dec. 31, 2010 Fair Value, Inputs, Level 3 Non Registered Canadian Pension Plans	Dec. 31, 2011 Investments Qualified and Registered Pension Plans	Dec. 31, 2011 Derivatives Qualified and Registered Pension Plans
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Reduction in pension plan obligations due to plan amendment	$ (16,000,000)		$ 0
Reduction in postretirement liability due to plan amendment																			(108,000,000)
Prior service credit																						(3,000,000)	(97,000,000)
Benefit plan remeasuremnt, change in unrecognized (gain) loss													457,000,000	188,000,000						6,000,000			(19,000,000)				6,000,000	(22,000,000)
Recognized prior service credit													14,000,000	18,000,000	19,000,000						(16,000,000)						(22,000,000)	(21,000,000)	(101,000,000)
Recognized curtailment charge															(22,000,000)	(9,000,000)	(5,000,000)				0			0	1,000,000		0	0
Defined Benefit Plan, Special Termination Benefits							9,000,000								14,000,000	(6,000,000)	(5,000,000)
Settlement charges																		3,000,000																							16,000,000	60,000,000
Special termination charges							9,000,000								14,000,000	(6,000,000)	(5,000,000)
Loss due to curtailment and special termination benefits					6,000,000	7,000,000	116,000,000						18,000,000	10,000,000	112,000,000												0	0	8,000,000									10,000,000							76,000,000
Actuarial (gains) losses													611,000,000	458,000,000													29,000,000	(78,000,000)
Issuance of short-term loans to U.S. pension trust				285,000,000
Repayments of short-term loans by the pension trust		139,000,000				146,000,000
Employer contributions													103,000,000	233,000,000													40,000,000	47,000,000				78,000,000	25,000,000
Reversal of net tax benefits related to pension and other postretirement benefit loss and prior service credit not recognized in earnings as a result of coversion to a REIT						43,000,000
Increase in actuarial net losses and prior service credit, net of tax as a result of reducing our estimated tax rate						34,000,000							(435,000,000)	(178,000,000)													54,000,000	21,000,000
Pension plans with accumulated benefit obligations greater than plan assets, projected benefit obligations	5,800,000,000				5,800,000,000	1,100,000,000
Pension plans with accumulated benefit obligations greater than plan assets, accumulated benefit obligations	5,700,000,000				5,700,000,000	1,000,000,000
Pension plans with accumulated benefit obligations greater than plan assets, fair value of assets	4,700,000,000				4,700,000,000	639,000,000
Accumulated benefit obligation for all defined benefit pension plans	5,700,000,000				5,700,000,000	5,100,000,000
Fair value of plan assets								4,699,000,000	4,699,000,000	4,757,000,000			4,714,000,000	4,773,000,000	4,159,000,000												0	0	0					15,000,000	15,000,000	16,000,000										4,181,000,000	3,979,000,000	3,915,000,000	0	0
Fair value of plan assets, percent																																														89.00%
Increase in fair value of pension assets												138,000,000	138,000,000
Percentage increase in fair value of pension assets												2.90%
Expected contribution to benefit plans during 2011																										83,000,000	42,000,000			20,000,000	60,000,000
Expected benefit payments under collectively bargained contractual oblidations																											10,000,000
Expected return on plan assets								9.00%	9.50%	9.50%	9.50%																							3.50%	4.75%	4.75%	4.75%														7.75%	1.25%
Annual rate of return on assets																																14.80%			7.00%
Actual return (loss) on plan assets									49,000,000				49,000,000	515,000,000	691,000,000												0	0
Weighted health care cost trend rate assumed for next year																																							7.30%	7.50%			6.80%	8.00%
Number of employees covered under union-administered multiemployer pension plans	1,330				1,330
Multiemployer Plan, Period Contributions					4,000,000	4,000,000	3,000,000
Employer contributions to defined contribution plans					$ 19,000,000	$ 12,000,000	$ 15,000,000