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CLOSURE AND POST-CLOSURE LIABILITIES
 12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2011
Asset Retirement Obligation Disclosure [Abstract]  
CLOSURE AND POST-CLOSURE LIABILITIES
CLOSURE AND POST-CLOSURE LIABILITIES
The changes to closure and post-closure liabilities (also referred to as "asset retirement obligations"), from January 1, 2010 through December 31, 2011 were as follows (in thousands):
 
Landfill
Retirement
Liability
 
Non-Landfill
Retirement
Liability
 
Total
Balance at January 1, 2010
$
28,070

 
$
7,740

 
$
35,810

New asset retirement obligations
1,873

 
—

 
1,873

Accretion
2,746

 
1,054

 
3,800

Changes in estimates recorded to statement of income
(89
)
 
(49
)
 
(138
)
Other changes in estimates recorded to balance sheet
6

 
379

 
385

Expenditures
(2,962
)
 
(225
)
 
(3,187
)
Currency translation and other
112

 
24

 
136

Balance at December 31, 2010
29,756

 
8,923

 
38,679

Liabilities assumed in acquisitions
—

 
202

 
202

New asset retirement obligations
2,469

 
—

 
2,469

Accretion
2,255

 
1,126

 
3,381

Changes in estimates recorded to statement of income
(822
)
 
(580
)
 
(1,402
)
Other changes in estimates recorded to balance sheet
(4,232
)
 
292

 
(3,940
)
Expenditures
(3,597
)
 
(935
)
 
(4,532
)
Currency translation and other
(65
)
 
89

 
24

Balance at December 31, 2011
$
25,764

 
$
9,117

 
$
34,881


All of the landfill facilities included in the above were active as of December 31, 2011.
New asset retirement obligations incurred in 2011 are being discounted at the credit-adjusted risk-free rate of 8.79% and inflated at a rate of 1.01%. New asset retirement obligations incurred in 2010 were discounted at the credit-adjusted risk-free rate of 9.74% and inflated at a rate of 1.02%.
Anticipated payments (based on current estimated costs and anticipated timing of necessary regulatory approvals to commence work on closure and post-closure activities) for each of the next five years and thereafter are as follows (in thousands):
Year ending December 31,
 
2012
$
4,371

2013
6,090

2014
6,251

2015
7,264

2016
5,800

Thereafter
223,960

Undiscounted closure and post-closure liabilities
253,736

Less: Reserves to be provided (including discount of $131.5 million) over remaining site lives
(218,855
)
Present value of closure and post-closure liabilities
$
34,881