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DERIVATIVE FINANCIAL INSTRUMENTS (Details) (USD $) In Millions, unless otherwise specified	3 Months Ended	9 Months Ended																																																												3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended																																			3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended		3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended		3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended		3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended		3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended		3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2010	Sep. 30, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010	Apr. 30, 2010	Mar. 31, 2010	Sep. 30, 2011 Forward Contracts Buy Foreign Currencies [Member]	Dec. 31, 2010 Forward Contracts Buy Foreign Currencies [Member]	Sep. 30, 2010 Forward Contracts Buy Foreign Currencies [Member]	Sep. 30, 2011 Forward Contracts Sell Foreign Currencies [Member]	Dec. 31, 2010 Forward Contracts Sell Foreign Currencies [Member]	Sep. 30, 2010 Forward Contracts Sell Foreign Currencies [Member]	Sep. 30, 2011 Variable Interest Rate Swaps [Member]	Jan. 31, 2009 Variable Interest Rate Swaps [Member]	Jan. 31, 2009 Fixed Interest Rate Swap [Member]	Sep. 30, 2011 Interest Rate Swaps Designated As Fair Value Hedges [Member]	May 31, 2011 Interest Rate Swaps Designated As Fair Value Hedges [Member]	Dec. 31, 2010 Interest Rate Swaps Designated As Fair Value Hedges [Member]	Sep. 30, 2010 Interest Rate Swaps Designated As Fair Value Hedges [Member]	Mar. 31, 2010 Interest Rate Swap On 2016 Notes [Member]	Sep. 30, 2011 Copper Commodity Forward Contracts [Member]	Dec. 31, 2010 Copper Commodity Forward Contracts [Member]	Sep. 30, 2010 Copper Commodity Forward Contracts [Member]	Sep. 30, 2011 Zinc Commodity Forward Contracts [Member]	Dec. 31, 2010 Zinc Commodity Forward Contracts [Member]	Sep. 30, 2010 Zinc Commodity Forward Contracts [Member]	Sep. 30, 2011 Lead Commodity Forward Contracts [Member]	Dec. 31, 2010 Lead Commodity Forward Contracts [Member]	Sep. 30, 2010 Lead Commodity Forward Contracts [Member]	Sep. 30, 2011 Natural Gas Commodity Forward Contracts [Member]	Dec. 31, 2010 Natural Gas Commodity Forward Contracts [Member]	Sep. 30, 2010 Natural Gas Commodity Forward Contracts [Member]	Sep. 30, 2011 Designated as Hedging Instrument [Member]	Dec. 31, 2010 Designated as Hedging Instrument [Member]	Sep. 30, 2010 Designated as Hedging Instrument [Member]	Sep. 30, 2011 Designated as Hedging Instrument [Member] Other Current Assets [Member] Interest Rate Contracts [Member]	Dec. 31, 2010 Designated as Hedging Instrument [Member] Other Current Assets [Member] Interest Rate Contracts [Member]	Sep. 30, 2010 Designated as Hedging Instrument [Member] Other Current Assets [Member] Interest Rate Contracts [Member]	Sep. 30, 2011 Designated as Hedging Instrument [Member] Other Current Assets [Member] Commodity Contracts Gains [Member]	Dec. 31, 2010 Designated as Hedging Instrument [Member] Other Current Assets [Member] Commodity Contracts Gains [Member]	Sep. 30, 2010 Designated as Hedging Instrument [Member] Other Current Assets [Member] Commodity Contracts Gains [Member]	Sep. 30, 2011 Designated as Hedging Instrument [Member] Other Current Assets [Member] Commodity Contracts Losses [Member]	Dec. 31, 2010 Designated as Hedging Instrument [Member] Other Current Assets [Member] Commodity Contracts Losses [Member]	Sep. 30, 2010 Designated as Hedging Instrument [Member] Other Current Assets [Member] Commodity Contracts Losses [Member]	Sep. 30, 2011 Designated as Hedging Instrument [Member] Other Assets [Member] Interest Rate Contracts [Member]	Dec. 31, 2010 Designated as Hedging Instrument [Member] Other Assets [Member] Interest Rate Contracts [Member]	Sep. 30, 2010 Designated as Hedging Instrument [Member] Other Assets [Member] Interest Rate Contracts [Member]	Sep. 30, 2011 Designated as Hedging Instrument [Member] Current Installments of Long-term Debt [Member] Interest Rate Contracts [Member]	Dec. 31, 2010 Designated as Hedging Instrument [Member] Current Installments of Long-term Debt [Member] Interest Rate Contracts [Member]	Sep. 30, 2010 Designated as Hedging Instrument [Member] Current Installments of Long-term Debt [Member] Interest Rate Contracts [Member]	Sep. 30, 2011 Designated as Hedging Instrument [Member] Other Liabilities [Member] Interest Rate Contracts [Member]	Dec. 31, 2010 Designated as Hedging Instrument [Member] Other Liabilities [Member] Interest Rate Contracts [Member]	Sep. 30, 2010 Designated as Hedging Instrument [Member] Other Liabilities [Member] Interest Rate Contracts [Member]	Sep. 30, 2011 Designated as Hedging Instrument [Member] Accrued Liabilities [Member] Commodity Contracts Gains [Member]	Dec. 31, 2010 Designated as Hedging Instrument [Member] Accrued Liabilities [Member] Commodity Contracts Gains [Member]	Sep. 30, 2010 Designated as Hedging Instrument [Member] Accrued Liabilities [Member] Commodity Contracts Gains [Member]	Sep. 30, 2011 Designated as Hedging Instrument [Member] Accrued Liabilities [Member] Commodity Contracts Losses [Member]	Dec. 31, 2010 Designated as Hedging Instrument [Member] Accrued Liabilities [Member] Commodity Contracts Losses [Member]	Sep. 30, 2010 Designated as Hedging Instrument [Member] Accrued Liabilities [Member] Commodity Contracts Losses [Member]	Sep. 30, 2011 Designated as Hedging Instrument [Member] Long-term Debt [Member] Interest Rate Contracts [Member]	Dec. 31, 2010 Designated as Hedging Instrument [Member] Long-term Debt [Member] Interest Rate Contracts [Member]	Sep. 30, 2010 Designated as Hedging Instrument [Member] Long-term Debt [Member] Interest Rate Contracts [Member]	Sep. 30, 2011 Derivatives Not Designated as Hedging Instruments [Member]	Sep. 30, 2010 Derivatives Not Designated as Hedging Instruments [Member]	Sep. 30, 2011 Derivatives Not Designated as Hedging Instruments [Member]	Sep. 30, 2010 Derivatives Not Designated as Hedging Instruments [Member]	Sep. 30, 2011 Not Designated as Hedging Instrument [Member]	Dec. 31, 2010 Not Designated as Hedging Instrument [Member]	Sep. 30, 2010 Not Designated as Hedging Instrument [Member]	Sep. 30, 2011 Not Designated as Hedging Instrument [Member] Other Current Assets [Member] Interest Rate Contracts [Member]	Dec. 31, 2010 Not Designated as Hedging Instrument [Member] Other Current Assets [Member] Interest Rate Contracts [Member]	Sep. 30, 2010 Not Designated as Hedging Instrument [Member] Other Current Assets [Member] Interest Rate Contracts [Member]	Sep. 30, 2011 Not Designated as Hedging Instrument [Member] Other Current Assets [Member] Commodity Contracts Gains [Member]	Dec. 31, 2010 Not Designated as Hedging Instrument [Member] Other Current Assets [Member] Commodity Contracts Gains [Member]	Sep. 30, 2010 Not Designated as Hedging Instrument [Member] Other Current Assets [Member] Commodity Contracts Gains [Member]	Sep. 30, 2011 Not Designated as Hedging Instrument [Member] Other Current Assets [Member] Commodity Contracts Losses [Member]	Dec. 31, 2010 Not Designated as Hedging Instrument [Member] Other Current Assets [Member] Commodity Contracts Losses [Member]	Sep. 30, 2010 Not Designated as Hedging Instrument [Member] Other Current Assets [Member] Commodity Contracts Losses [Member]	Sep. 30, 2011 Not Designated as Hedging Instrument [Member] Other Current Assets [Member] Foreign Currency Contracts [Member]	Dec. 31, 2010 Not Designated as Hedging Instrument [Member] Other Current Assets [Member] Foreign Currency Contracts [Member]	Sep. 30, 2010 Not Designated as Hedging Instrument [Member] Other Current Assets [Member] Foreign Currency Contracts [Member]	Sep. 30, 2011 Not Designated as Hedging Instrument [Member] Other Assets [Member] Interest Rate Contracts [Member]	Dec. 31, 2010 Not Designated as Hedging Instrument [Member] Other Assets [Member] Interest Rate Contracts [Member]	Sep. 30, 2010 Not Designated as Hedging Instrument [Member] Other Assets [Member] Interest Rate Contracts [Member]	Sep. 30, 2011 Not Designated as Hedging Instrument [Member] Other Liabilities [Member] Interest Rate Contracts [Member]	Dec. 31, 2010 Not Designated as Hedging Instrument [Member] Other Liabilities [Member] Interest Rate Contracts [Member]	Sep. 30, 2010 Not Designated as Hedging Instrument [Member] Other Liabilities [Member] Interest Rate Contracts [Member]	Sep. 30, 2011 Not Designated as Hedging Instrument [Member] Accrued Liabilities [Member] Interest Rate Contracts [Member]	Dec. 31, 2010 Not Designated as Hedging Instrument [Member] Accrued Liabilities [Member] Interest Rate Contracts 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Derivative [Line Items]
Notional amount						$ 0	$ 0.3	$ 1.3	$ 0	$ 0	$ 0.2	$ 75.0		$ 75.0	$ 218.0	$ 85.3	$ 132.7	$ 132.7	$ 125.0	$ 54.3	$ 25.1	$ 26.0	$ 7.7	$ 3.2	$ 3.4	$ 36.1	$ 19.6	$ 19.7	$ 5.7	$ 5.5	$ 6.7
Fixed interest rate on debt underlying interest rate swap		9.125%			6.75%
Gain on variable interest rate swaps, which will be recognized through 2011													7.9
Amount of gain included in current installments of long-term debt												0.6
Cash flow hedges [Abstract]
Amount of commodity forward contracts with Wells Fargo		67.5
Gain if all open futures contracts were settled		14.3
Approximate amount of deferred gains would be reclassified into earnings during the next twelve months		11.7
Fair value hedges [Abstract]
Amount of terminated interest rate swaps on our industrial revenue bonds				18.9
Gain on terminated interest rate swaps on our industrial revenue bonds				0.4
Gain on terminated interest rate swaps on recognized in interest expense upon redemption of our industrial revenue bonds	0.3
Derivatives, Fair Value [Line Items]
Asset Derivatives	25.9	15.1	26.0																													14.3	22.2	21.2	0	0	0	0	16.9	10.6	0	0	(0.2)	14.3	5.3	10.8																				0.8	3.8	4.7	0.8	3.8	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	4.7
Liability Derivatives	16.5	29.8	9.5																													29.1	8.1	14.3													0.6	2.8	0	0.2	0	0	(2.3)	0	0	16.6	0	0	14.0	5.3	14.3					0.7	1.4	2.2																0	0	1.3	0.3	1.2	0	0	(0.1)	0	0.4	0.3	0.8	0	0	0.1
Derivative Instruments, Gain (Loss) [Line Items]
Recognized in other comprehensive loss (effective portion)																																																																																																																			(21.7)	12.9	(21.3)	(1.2)
Reclassified from accumulated other comprehensive loss into income (effective portion)																																																																																																																							1.2	(1.1)	11.8	6.6
Amount of gain (loss)																																																														(0.5)	(0.7)	(0.8)	(1.0)																																		(0.1)	0.1	0	0.3	0	0.1	0	(0.1)	(0.4)	(0.9)	(0.8)	(1.2)	1.8	1.9	5.8	4.7
Credit risk and collateral [Abstract]
Amounts recognized in other current assets or (accrued liabilities) for cash collateral provided by us to counterparties.		(7.0)
Amounts recognized in other current assets or (accrued liabilities) for cash collateral provided to us by counterparties	0.7		3.2
Amount of interest rate swap with Wells Fargo		85.3
Amount of interest rate swap with Citi bank		$ 132.7