GUARANTOR AND NON-GUARANTOR SUBSIDIARIES FINANCIAL INFORMATION (Condensed Consolidating Statements of (Loss) Income) (Details) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2014	Sep. 30, 2013	Sep. 30, 2014	Sep. 30, 2013
Revenues:
Service revenues	$ 657,221	$ 702,033	$ 1,962,071	$ 2,048,527
Product revenues	194,244	205,502	594,541	581,699
Total revenues	851,465	907,535	2,556,612	2,630,226
Cost of revenues (exclusive of items shown separately below)
Service cost of revenues	440,261	478,434	1,333,443	1,402,409
Product cost of revenues	158,146	168,685	497,633	495,060
Total cost of revenues	598,407	647,119	1,831,076	1,897,469
Selling, general and administrative expenses	99,701	114,464	334,394	365,546
Accretion of environmental liabilities	2,642	2,914	7,975	8,628
Depreciation and amortization	70,049	69,430	205,480	196,904
Goodwill impairment charge	123,414	0	123,414	0
(Loss) income from operations	(42,748)	73,608	54,273	161,679
Other income (expense)	613	(150)	4,136	2,030
Interest (expense) income	(19,494)	(19,326)	(58,430)	(58,784)
Equity in earnings of subsidiaries, net of taxes	0	0	0	0
Intercompany dividend income		0	0	0
Intercompany interest income (expense)	0	0	0	0
(Loss) income before provision for income taxes	(61,629)	54,132	(21)	104,925
(Benefit) provision for income taxes	31,708	18,771	55,684	36,160
Net (loss) income	(93,337)	35,361	(55,705)	68,765
Other comprehensive (loss) income	(49,092)	21,805	(54,561)	(37,562)
Comprehensive (loss) income	(142,429)	57,166	(110,266)	31,203
Clean Harbors, Inc.
Revenues:
Service revenues	0	0	0	0
Product revenues	0	0	0	0
Total revenues	0	0	0	0
Cost of revenues (exclusive of items shown separately below)
Service cost of revenues	0	0	0	0
Product cost of revenues	0	0	0	0
Total cost of revenues	0	0	0	0
Selling, general and administrative expenses	26	29	82	84
Accretion of environmental liabilities	0	0	0	0
Depreciation and amortization	0	0	0	0
Goodwill impairment charge	0		0
(Loss) income from operations	(26)	(29)	(82)	(84)
Other income (expense)	0	0	0	0
Interest (expense) income	(19,622)	(19,844)	(58,968)	(59,408)
Equity in earnings of subsidiaries, net of taxes	(105,802)	58,919	(21,257)	134,246
Intercompany dividend income		0	0	0
Intercompany interest income (expense)	0	0	0	0
(Loss) income before provision for income taxes	(125,450)	39,046	(80,307)	74,754
(Benefit) provision for income taxes	(32,113)	3,685	(24,602)	5,989
Net (loss) income	(93,337)	35,361	(55,705)	68,765
Other comprehensive (loss) income	(49,092)	21,805	(54,561)	(37,562)
Comprehensive (loss) income	(142,429)	57,166	(110,266)	31,203
U.S. Guarantor Subsidiaries
Revenues:
Service revenues	420,809	445,165	1,322,825	1,295,525
Product revenues	170,762	169,743	475,429	463,301
Total revenues	591,571	614,908	1,798,254	1,758,826
Cost of revenues (exclusive of items shown separately below)
Service cost of revenues	265,980	300,859	871,509	873,945
Product cost of revenues	152,546	139,683	403,007	395,891
Total cost of revenues	418,526	440,542	1,274,516	1,269,836
Selling, general and administrative expenses	71,060	81,496	241,126	266,941
Accretion of environmental liabilities	2,258	2,478	6,825	7,315
Depreciation and amortization	44,213	45,533	128,234	127,042
Goodwill impairment charge	105,466		105,466
(Loss) income from operations	(49,952)	44,859	42,087	87,692
Other income (expense)	1,930	(111)	2,716	2,858
Interest (expense) income	77	137	523	137
Equity in earnings of subsidiaries, net of taxes	(1,038)	21,064	10,817	57,040
Intercompany dividend income		0	0	0
Intercompany interest income (expense)	7,470	10,107	26,351	30,414
(Loss) income before provision for income taxes	(41,513)	76,056	82,494	178,141
(Benefit) provision for income taxes	59,711	8,218	77,402	14,753
Net (loss) income	(101,224)	67,838	5,092	163,388
Other comprehensive (loss) income	(49,092)	21,805	(54,561)	(37,562)
Comprehensive (loss) income	(150,316)	89,643	(49,469)	125,826
Foreign Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries
Revenues:
Service revenues	243,123	256,812	654,168	755,856
Product revenues	25,465	35,815	123,634	119,267
Total revenues	268,588	292,627	777,802	875,123
Cost of revenues (exclusive of items shown separately below)
Service cost of revenues	180,992	177,519	476,856	531,318
Product cost of revenues	7,583	29,058	99,148	100,038
Total cost of revenues	188,575	206,577	576,004	631,356
Selling, general and administrative expenses	28,615	32,939	93,186	98,521
Accretion of environmental liabilities	384	436	1,150	1,313
Depreciation and amortization	25,836	23,897	77,246	69,862
Goodwill impairment charge	17,948		17,948
(Loss) income from operations	7,230	28,778	12,268	74,071
Other income (expense)	(1,317)	(39)	1,420	(828)
Interest (expense) income	51	381	15	487
Equity in earnings of subsidiaries, net of taxes	0	0	0	0
Intercompany dividend income		3,063	6,238	10,031
Intercompany interest income (expense)	(7,470)	(10,107)	(26,351)	(30,414)
(Loss) income before provision for income taxes	(1,506)	22,076	(6,410)	53,347
(Benefit) provision for income taxes	4,110	6,868	2,884	15,418
Net (loss) income	(5,616)	15,208	(9,294)	37,929
Other comprehensive (loss) income	32,335	(10,072)	9,090	20,385
Comprehensive (loss) income	26,719	5,136	(204)	58,314
Consolidating Adjustments
Revenues:
Service revenues	(6,711)	56	(14,922)	(2,854)
Product revenues	(1,983)	(56)	(4,522)	(869)
Total revenues	(8,694)	0	(19,444)	(3,723)
Cost of revenues (exclusive of items shown separately below)
Service cost of revenues	(6,711)	56	(14,922)	(2,854)
Product cost of revenues	(1,983)	(56)	(4,522)	(869)
Total cost of revenues	(8,694)	0	(19,444)	(3,723)
Selling, general and administrative expenses	0	0	0	0
Accretion of environmental liabilities	0	0	0	0
Depreciation and amortization	0	0	0	0
Goodwill impairment charge	0		0
(Loss) income from operations	0	0	0	0
Other income (expense)	0	0	0	0
Interest (expense) income	0	0	0	0
Equity in earnings of subsidiaries, net of taxes	106,840	(79,983)	10,440	(191,286)
Intercompany dividend income		(3,063)	(6,238)	(10,031)
Intercompany interest income (expense)	0	0	0	0
(Loss) income before provision for income taxes	106,840	(83,046)	4,202	(201,317)
(Benefit) provision for income taxes	0	0		0
Net (loss) income	106,840	(83,046)	4,202	(201,317)
Other comprehensive (loss) income	16,757	(11,733)	45,471	17,177
Comprehensive (loss) income	$ 123,597	$ (94,779)	$ 49,673	$ (184,140)