GUARANTOR AND NON-GUARANTOR SUBSIDIARIES FINANCIAL INFORMATION (Consolidating Statement of Operations) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2016	Sep. 30, 2015	Sep. 30, 2016	Sep. 30, 2015
Revenues:
Service revenues	$ 594,225	$ 760,667	$ 1,709,018	$ 2,158,344
Product revenues	135,295	132,699	354,095	403,749
Total revenues	729,520	893,366	2,063,113	2,562,093
Cost of revenues (exclusive of items shown separately below)
Service cost of revenues	385,542	523,676	1,148,212	1,484,936
Product cost of revenues	106,373	110,970	287,984	348,905
Total cost of revenues	491,915	634,646	1,436,196	1,833,841
Selling, general and administrative expenses	110,954	93,113	322,501	321,246
Accretion of environmental liabilities	2,476	2,577	7,529	7,795
Depreciation and amortization	73,360	69,060	215,655	205,189
Goodwill impairment charge	34,013	0	34,013	31,992
Income (loss) from operations	16,802	93,970	47,219	162,030
Other income (expense)	(198)	(139)	(737)	(390)
Gain on sale of business	16,431	0	16,431	0
Interest (expense) income	(21,565)	(19,017)	(62,192)	(57,704)
Equity in earnings of subsidiaries, net of taxes	0	0	0	0
Intercompany interest income (expense)	0	0	0	0
(Loss) income before (benefit) provision for income taxes	11,470	74,814	721	103,936
(Benefit) provision for income taxes	21,725	34,586	27,881	60,402
Net (loss) income	(10,255)	40,228	(27,160)	43,534
Other comprehensive (loss) income	(1,311)	(53,541)	43,348	(118,713)
Comprehensive (loss) income	(11,566)	(13,313)	16,188	(75,179)
Reportable Legal Entities | 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	(598)	0	(1,185)	0
Product cost of revenues	0	0	0	0
Total cost of revenues	(598)	0	(1,185)	0
Selling, general and administrative expenses	23	25	84	75
Accretion of environmental liabilities	0	0	0	0
Depreciation and amortization	0	0	0	0
Goodwill impairment charge	0		0	0
Income (loss) from operations	575	(25)	1,101	(75)
Other income (expense)	0	0	0	0
Gain on sale of business	0		0
Interest (expense) income	(23,042)	(19,671)	(66,147)	(58,962)
Equity in earnings of subsidiaries, net of taxes	3,225	52,046	11,867	78,956
Intercompany interest income (expense)	0	0	0	0
(Loss) income before (benefit) provision for income taxes	(19,242)	32,350	(53,179)	19,919
(Benefit) provision for income taxes	(8,987)	(7,878)	(26,019)	(23,615)
Net (loss) income	(10,255)	40,228	(27,160)	43,534
Other comprehensive (loss) income	(1,311)	(53,541)	43,348	(118,713)
Comprehensive (loss) income	(11,566)	(13,313)	16,188	(75,179)
Reportable Legal Entities | U.S. Guarantor Subsidiaries
Revenues:
Service revenues	461,139	612,814	1,345,629	1,659,739
Product revenues	118,106	117,653	303,342	349,524
Total revenues	579,245	730,467	1,648,971	2,009,263
Cost of revenues (exclusive of items shown separately below)
Service cost of revenues	288,764	413,878	864,071	1,106,591
Product cost of revenues	94,050	101,778	252,512	315,322
Total cost of revenues	382,814	515,656	1,116,583	1,421,913
Selling, general and administrative expenses	88,652	72,811	253,189	247,472
Accretion of environmental liabilities	2,243	2,277	6,846	6,870
Depreciation and amortization	51,957	46,951	151,348	137,354
Goodwill impairment charge	0		0	4,164
Income (loss) from operations	53,579	92,772	121,005	191,490
Other income (expense)	(188)	204	124	483
Gain on sale of business	1,288		1,288
Interest (expense) income	1,456	613	3,851	1,115
Equity in earnings of subsidiaries, net of taxes	(22,341)	(2,341)	(58,031)	(38,920)
Intercompany interest income (expense)	5,235	5,666	15,891	17,679
(Loss) income before (benefit) provision for income taxes	39,029	96,914	84,128	171,847
(Benefit) provision for income taxes	35,803	44,868	72,260	92,891
Net (loss) income	3,226	52,046	11,868	78,956
Other comprehensive (loss) income	(1,311)	(53,541)	43,348	(118,713)
Comprehensive (loss) income	1,915	(1,495)	55,216	(39,757)
Reportable Legal Entities | Foreign Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries
Revenues:
Service revenues	145,780	162,680	399,216	546,790
Product revenues	20,072	17,591	58,176	63,239
Total revenues	165,852	180,271	457,392	610,029
Cost of revenues (exclusive of items shown separately below)
Service cost of revenues	110,070	124,625	321,153	426,530
Product cost of revenues	15,206	11,737	42,895	42,597
Total cost of revenues	125,276	136,362	364,048	469,127
Selling, general and administrative expenses	22,279	20,277	69,228	73,699
Accretion of environmental liabilities	233	300	683	925
Depreciation and amortization	21,403	22,109	64,307	67,835
Goodwill impairment charge	34,013		34,013	27,828
Income (loss) from operations	(37,352)	1,223	(74,887)	(29,385)
Other income (expense)	(10)	(343)	(861)	(873)
Gain on sale of business	15,143		15,143
Interest (expense) income	21	41	104	143
Equity in earnings of subsidiaries, net of taxes	0	0	0	0
Intercompany interest income (expense)	(5,235)	(5,666)	(15,891)	(17,679)
(Loss) income before (benefit) provision for income taxes	(27,433)	(4,745)	(76,392)	(47,794)
(Benefit) provision for income taxes	(5,091)	(2,404)	(18,360)	(8,874)
Net (loss) income	(22,342)	(2,341)	(58,032)	(38,920)
Other comprehensive (loss) income	(3,927)	(34,150)	24,403	(76,752)
Comprehensive (loss) income	(26,269)	(36,491)	(33,629)	(115,672)
Consolidating Adjustments
Revenues:
Service revenues	(12,694)	(14,827)	(35,827)	(48,185)
Product revenues	(2,883)	(2,545)	(7,423)	(9,014)
Total revenues	(15,577)	(17,372)	(43,250)	(57,199)
Cost of revenues (exclusive of items shown separately below)
Service cost of revenues	(12,694)	(14,827)	(35,827)	(48,185)
Product cost of revenues	(2,883)	(2,545)	(7,423)	(9,014)
Total cost of revenues	(15,577)	(17,372)	(43,250)	(57,199)
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	0
Income (loss) from operations	0	0	0	0
Other income (expense)	0	0	0	0
Gain on sale of business	0		0
Interest (expense) income	0	0	0	0
Equity in earnings of subsidiaries, net of taxes	19,116	(49,705)	46,164	(40,036)
Intercompany interest income (expense)	0	0	0	0
(Loss) income before (benefit) provision for income taxes	19,116	(49,705)	46,164	(40,036)
(Benefit) provision for income taxes	0	0	0	0
Net (loss) income	19,116	(49,705)	46,164	(40,036)
Other comprehensive (loss) income	5,238	87,691	(67,751)	195,465
Comprehensive (loss) income	$ 24,354	$ 37,986	$ (21,587)	$ 155,429