GUARANTOR AND NON-GUARANTOR SUBSIDIARIES (Income Statement) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended								12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016	Sep. 30, 2016	Jun. 30, 2016	Mar. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Sep. 30, 2015	Jun. 30, 2015	Mar. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Revenues
Service revenues									$ 2,280,809	$ 2,744,272	$ 2,639,796
Product revenues									474,417	530,865	761,840
Total revenues	$ 692,113	$ 729,520	$ 697,510	$ 636,083	$ 713,044	$ 893,366	$ 936,228	$ 732,499	2,755,226	3,275,137	3,401,636
Cost of revenues (exclusive of items shown separately below)
Service cost of revenues									1,543,210	1,898,907	1,790,377
Product cost of revenues									389,647	457,899	651,419
Total cost of revenues	496,661	491,915	480,002	464,279	522,965	634,646	652,688	546,507	1,932,857	2,356,806	2,441,796
Selling, general and administrative expenses									422,015	414,164	437,921
Accretion of environmental liabilities									10,177	10,402	10,612
Depreciation and amortization									287,002	274,194	276,083
Goodwill impairment charges		34,000					32,000		34,013	31,992	123,414
Income (loss) from operations	21,943	16,802	34,504	(4,087)	25,549	93,970	60,758	7,302	69,162	187,579	111,810
Other income (expense), net	6,932	(198)	(189)	(350)	(990)	(139)	(660)	409	6,195	(1,380)	4,380
Gain on sale of business		16,400							16,884	0	0
Interest (expense) income, net									(83,525)	(76,553)	(77,668)
Equity in earnings of subsidiaries, net of tax									0	0	0
Intercompany dividend income											0
Intercompany interest income (expense)									0	0	0
(Loss) income before (benefit) provision for income taxes									8,716	109,646	38,522
(Benefit) provision for income taxes									48,589	65,544	66,850
Net (loss) income	$ (12,713)	$ (10,255)	$ 3,966	$ (20,871)	$ 568	$ 40,228	$ 10,395	$ (7,089)	(39,873)	44,102	(28,328)
Other comprehensive income									40,566	(144,050)	(91,286)
Comprehensive income (loss)									693	(99,948)	(119,614)
Reportable Legal Entities | Clean Harbors, Inc.
Revenues
Service revenues									0	0	0
Product revenues									0	0	0
Total revenues									0	0	0
Cost of revenues (exclusive of items shown separately below)
Service cost of revenues									0	5	0
Product cost of revenues									0	0	0
Total cost of revenues									0	5	0
Selling, general and administrative expenses									85	101	114
Accretion of environmental liabilities									0	0	0
Depreciation and amortization									0	0	0
Goodwill impairment charges									0	0	0
Income (loss) from operations									(85)	(106)	(114)
Other income (expense), net									0	0	0
Gain on sale of business									0
Interest (expense) income, net									(88,984)	(78,621)	(78,570)
Equity in earnings of subsidiaries, net of tax									13,568	91,339	18,882
Intercompany dividend income											0
Intercompany interest income (expense)									0	0	0
(Loss) income before (benefit) provision for income taxes									(75,501)	12,612	(59,802)
(Benefit) provision for income taxes									(35,628)	(31,490)	(31,474)
Net (loss) income									(39,873)	44,102	(28,328)
Other comprehensive income									40,566	(144,050)	(91,286)
Comprehensive income (loss)									693	(99,948)	(119,614)
Reportable Legal Entities | Guarantor Subsidiaries
Revenues
Service revenues									1,747,985	2,111,086	1,786,695
Product revenues									410,868	458,314	619,802
Total revenues									2,158,853	2,569,400	2,406,497
Cost of revenues (exclusive of items shown separately below)
Service cost of revenues									1,116,132	1,415,435	1,172,181
Product cost of revenues									349,069	410,128	538,671
Total cost of revenues									1,465,201	1,825,563	1,710,852
Selling, general and administrative expenses									341,963	329,069	321,069
Accretion of environmental liabilities									9,261	9,209	9,240
Depreciation and amortization									201,153	184,017	173,447
Goodwill impairment charges									0	4,164	105,466
Income (loss) from operations									141,275	217,378	86,423
Other income (expense), net									7,713	491	3,369
Gain on sale of business									1,704
Interest (expense) income, net									5,391	1,860	800
Equity in earnings of subsidiaries, net of tax									(80,244)	(47,141)	(9,031)
Intercompany dividend income											0
Intercompany interest income (expense)									19,855	23,156	28,596
(Loss) income before (benefit) provision for income taxes									95,694	195,744	110,157
(Benefit) provision for income taxes									82,643	104,405	91,275
Net (loss) income									13,051	91,339	18,882
Other comprehensive income									40,566	(144,050)	(91,286)
Comprehensive income (loss)									53,617	(52,711)	(72,404)
Reportable Legal Entities | Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries
Revenues
Service revenues									582,075	692,216	876,085
Product revenues									73,793	83,970	148,671
Total revenues									655,868	776,186	1,024,756
Cost of revenues (exclusive of items shown separately below)
Service cost of revenues									476,329	542,497	641,180
Product cost of revenues									50,822	59,190	119,381
Total cost of revenues									527,151	601,687	760,561
Selling, general and administrative expenses									79,967	84,994	116,738
Accretion of environmental liabilities									916	1,193	1,372
Depreciation and amortization									85,849	90,177	102,636
Goodwill impairment charges									34,013	27,828	17,948
Income (loss) from operations									(72,028)	(29,693)	25,501
Other income (expense), net									(1,518)	(1,871)	1,011
Gain on sale of business									15,180
Interest (expense) income, net									68	208	102
Equity in earnings of subsidiaries, net of tax									0	0	0
Intercompany dividend income											6,238
Intercompany interest income (expense)									(19,855)	(23,156)	(28,596)
(Loss) income before (benefit) provision for income taxes									(78,153)	(54,512)	4,256
(Benefit) provision for income taxes									1,574	(7,371)	7,049
Net (loss) income									(79,727)	(47,141)	(2,793)
Other comprehensive income									15,291	(93,983)	(37,157)
Comprehensive income (loss)									(64,436)	(141,124)	(39,950)
Consolidating Adjustments
Revenues
Service revenues									(49,251)	(59,030)	(22,984)
Product revenues									(10,244)	(11,419)	(6,633)
Total revenues									(59,495)	(70,449)	(29,617)
Cost of revenues (exclusive of items shown separately below)
Service cost of revenues									(49,251)	(59,030)	(22,984)
Product cost of revenues									(10,244)	(11,419)	(6,633)
Total cost of revenues									(59,495)	(70,449)	(29,617)
Selling, general and administrative expenses									0	0	0
Accretion of environmental liabilities									0	0	0
Depreciation and amortization									0	0	0
Goodwill impairment charges									0	0	0
Income (loss) from operations									0	0	0
Other income (expense), net									0	0	0
Gain on sale of business									0
Interest (expense) income, net									0	0	0
Equity in earnings of subsidiaries, net of tax									66,676	(44,198)	(9,851)
Intercompany dividend income											(6,238)
Intercompany interest income (expense)									0	0	0
(Loss) income before (benefit) provision for income taxes									66,676	(44,198)	(16,089)
(Benefit) provision for income taxes									0	0	0
Net (loss) income									66,676	(44,198)	(16,089)
Other comprehensive income									(55,857)	238,033	128,443
Comprehensive income (loss)									$ 10,819	$ 193,835	$ 112,354