OPERATIONS

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2020

Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]

OPERATIONS

OPERATIONS

Clean Harbors, Inc., through its subsidiaries (collectively, the "Company"), is a leading provider of environmental and industrial services throughout North America. The Company is also the largest re-refiner and recycler of used oil and the largest provider of parts cleaning and related environmental services to commercial, industrial and automotive customers in North America.

A novel strain of coronavirus ("COVID-19") was first identified in December 2019, and subsequently declared a global pandemic by the World Health Organization on March 11, 2020. As a result of the outbreak, many companies experienced significant disruptions in their operations, workforce and markets served, also resulting in a significant reduction in the demand for petroleum-based products. Areas of the Company's businesses and operations were adversely impacted by the effects of COVID-19 when circumstances surrounding and responses to the pandemic, including stay-at-home orders, began to materialize in North America. These disruptions had a significant impact on the Company's operating results for the year ended December 31, 2020. The Company expects that operations will continue to be impacted. The full extent of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and the resulting changes in demand for oil and the impact on the Company's operations is uncertain. A prolonged disruption could have a material adverse impact on financial results and business operations of the Company.