GUARANTOR AND NON-GUARANTOR SUBSIDIARIES (Balance Sheet) (Details) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011
Guarantor and Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries Financial Information [Abstract]
Subsidiary or equity method investee, cumulative percentage ownership after all transactions	100.00%
Assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	$ 246,879,000	$ 310,073,000	$ 229,836,000	$ 260,723,000
Intercompany receivables	0	0
Accounts receivable, net	557,131,000	579,394,000
Other current assets	322,423,000	281,712,000
Property, plant and equipment, net	1,558,834,000	1,602,170,000
Investments in subsidiaries	0	0
Intercompany debt receivable	0	0
Goodwill	452,669,000	570,960,000	579,715,000
Permits and other intangibles, net	530,080,000	569,973,000
Deferred Financing Costs and Other Assets	36,262,000	39,396,000
Total assets	3,704,278,000	3,953,678,000
Liabilities and Stockholders' Equity:
Current liabilities	572,471,000	639,545,000
Intercompany payables	0	0
Closure, post-closure and remedial liabilities, net	183,731,000	190,112,000
Long-term obligations	1,395,000,000	1,400,000,000
Capital lease obligations, net	0	1,435,000
Intercompany debt payable	0	0
Other long-term liabilities	290,205,000	246,947,000
Total liabilities	2,441,407,000	2,478,039,000
Stockholders' equity	1,262,871,000	1,475,639,000	1,432,072,000	900,987,000
Total liabilities and stockholders' equity	3,704,278,000	3,953,678,000
ChangeInStockHoldersEquity_AttributableToRevisionsToHistoricalAmounts	112,700,000
Clean Harbors, Inc.
Assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	1,006,000	1,006,000	35,214,000	91,581,000
Intercompany receivables	133,219,000	101,745,000
Accounts receivable, net	0	0
Other current assets	0	0
Property, plant and equipment, net	0	0
Investments in subsidiaries	2,694,727,000	2,864,291,000
Intercompany debt receivable	0	0
Goodwill	0	0
Permits and other intangibles, net	0	0
Deferred Financing Costs and Other Assets	16,801,000	20,081,000
Total assets	2,845,753,000	2,987,123,000
Liabilities and Stockholders' Equity:
Current liabilities	20,820,000	20,838,000
Intercompany payables	163,361,000	86,945,000
Closure, post-closure and remedial liabilities, net	0	0
Long-term obligations	1,395,000,000	1,400,000,000
Capital lease obligations, net	0	0
Intercompany debt payable	3,701,000	3,701,000
Other long-term liabilities	0	0
Total liabilities	1,582,882,000	1,511,484,000
Stockholders' equity	1,262,871,000	1,475,639,000
Total liabilities and stockholders' equity	2,845,753,000	2,987,123,000
U.S. Guarantor Subsidiaries
Assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	154,147,000	235,505,000	140,683,000	128,071,000
Intercompany receivables	156,920,000	91,151,000
Accounts receivable, net	414,205,000	387,809,000
Other current assets	241,232,000	207,054,000
Property, plant and equipment, net	970,757,000	949,565,000
Investments in subsidiaries	663,191,000	703,141,000
Intercompany debt receivable	327,634,000	471,101,000
Goodwill	324,930,000	415,541,000
Permits and other intangibles, net	435,906,000	459,211,000
Deferred Financing Costs and Other Assets	12,959,000	12,575,000
Total assets	3,701,881,000	3,932,653,000
Liabilities and Stockholders' Equity:
Current liabilities	444,059,000	483,024,000
Intercompany payables	164,231,000	114,773,000
Closure, post-closure and remedial liabilities, net	158,622,000	162,927,000
Long-term obligations	0	0
Capital lease obligations, net	0	191,000
Intercompany debt payable	0	0
Other long-term liabilities	240,242,000	191,759,000
Total liabilities	1,007,154,000	952,674,000
Stockholders' equity	2,694,727,000	2,979,979,000
Total liabilities and stockholders' equity	3,701,881,000	3,932,653,000
Foreign Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries
Assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	91,726,000	73,562,000	53,939,000	41,071,000
Intercompany receivables	39,724,000	24,647,000
Accounts receivable, net	142,926,000	191,585,000
Other current assets	81,191,000	74,658,000
Property, plant and equipment, net	588,077,000	652,605,000
Investments in subsidiaries	0	115,688,000
Intercompany debt receivable	3,701,000	3,701,000
Goodwill	127,739,000	155,419,000
Permits and other intangibles, net	94,174,000	110,762,000
Deferred Financing Costs and Other Assets	6,502,000	6,740,000
Total assets	1,175,760,000	1,409,367,000
Liabilities and Stockholders' Equity:
Current liabilities	107,592,000	135,683,000
Intercompany payables	2,271,000	15,825,000
Closure, post-closure and remedial liabilities, net	25,109,000	27,185,000
Long-term obligations	0	0
Capital lease obligations, net	0	1,244,000
Intercompany debt payable	327,634,000	471,101,000
Other long-term liabilities	49,963,000	55,188,000
Total liabilities	512,569,000	706,226,000
Stockholders' equity	663,191,000	703,141,000
Total liabilities and stockholders' equity	1,175,760,000	1,409,367,000
Consolidating Adjustments
Assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	0	0	0	0
Intercompany receivables	(329,863,000)	(217,543,000)
Accounts receivable, net	0	0
Other current assets	0	0
Property, plant and equipment, net	0	0
Investments in subsidiaries	(3,357,918,000)	(3,683,120,000)
Intercompany debt receivable	(331,335,000)	(474,802,000)
Goodwill	0	0
Permits and other intangibles, net	0	0
Deferred Financing Costs and Other Assets	0	0
Total assets	(4,019,116,000)	(4,375,465,000)
Liabilities and Stockholders' Equity:
Current liabilities	0	0
Intercompany payables	(329,863,000)	(217,543,000)
Closure, post-closure and remedial liabilities, net	0	0
Long-term obligations	0	0
Capital lease obligations, net	0	0
Intercompany debt payable	(331,335,000)	(474,802,000)
Other long-term liabilities	0	0
Total liabilities	(661,198,000)	(692,345,000)
Stockholders' equity	(3,357,918,000)	(3,683,120,000)
Total liabilities and stockholders' equity	$ (4,019,116,000)	$ (4,375,465,000)