REMEDIAL LIABILITIES (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2011

Environmental Remediation Obligations [Abstract]

Changes to remedial liabilities

The changes to remedial liabilities from January 1, 2010 through December 31, 2011 were as follows (in thousands):

	Remedial Liabilities for Landfill Sites			Remedial Liabilities for Inactive Sites			Remedial Liabilities (Including Superfund) for Non-Landfill Operations			Total
Balance at January 1, 2010	5,337			86,761			53,388			145,486
Accretion	261			3,895			2,351			6,507
Changes in estimates recorded to statement of income	(115		)	(4,491		)	(3,584		)	(8,190		)
Expenditures	(103		)	(3,838		)	(3,108		)	(7,049		)
Currency translation and other	131			27			701			859
Balance at December 31, 2010	5,511			82,354			49,748			137,613
Liabilities assumed in acquisitions	—			—			100			100
Accretion	271			3,780			2,247			6,298
Changes in estimates recorded to statement of income	(55		)	(3,825		)	2,442			(1,438		)
Expenditures	(71		)	(3,852		)	(2,864		)	(6,787		)
Currency translation and other	(56		)	(8		)	(402		)	(466		)
Balance at December 31, 2011	$	5,600		$	78,449		$	51,271		$	135,320

Remedial Liabilities Anticipated Payments for Each of the Next Five Years

Anticipated payments at December 31, 2011 (based on current estimated costs and anticipated timing of necessary regulatory approvals to commence work on remedial activities) for each of the next five years and thereafter are as follows (in thousands):

Year ending December 31,
2012	$	11,044
2013	12,315
2014	9,893
2015	8,011
2016	10,628
Thereafter	121,365
Undiscounted remedial liabilities	173,256
Less: Discount	(37,936		)
Total remedial liabilities	$	135,320

Environmental Exit Costs by Cost

The following tables show, respectively, (i) the amounts of such estimated liabilities associated with the types of facilities and sites involved and (ii) the amounts of such estimated liabilities associated with each facility or site which represents at least 5% of the total and with all other facilities and sites as a group.

Estimates Based on Type of Facility or Site (in thousands):

Type of Facility or Site	Remedial Liability		% of Total		Reasonably Possible Additional Liabilities(1)
Facilities now used in active conduct of the Company's business (21 facilities)	$	49,720	36.7	%	$	9,114
Inactive facilities not now used in active conduct of the Company's business but most of which were acquired because the assumption of remedial liabilities for such facilities was part of the purchase price for the CSD assets (17 facilities)	78,450		58.0		9,913
Superfund sites owned by third parties on which wastes generated or shipped by the sellers of the CSD assets (or their predecessors) are present (13 sites)	7,150		5.3		715
Total	$	135,320	100.0	%	$	19,742

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(1) Amounts represent the high end of the range of management's best estimate of the reasonably possible additional liabilities.

Estimates Based on Amount of Potential Liability (in thousands):

Location	Type of Facility or Site	Remedial Liability		% of Total		Reasonably Possible Additional Liabilities(1)
Baton Rouge, LA(2)	Closed incinerator and landfill	$	37,200	27.5	%	$	5,219
Bridgeport, NJ	Closed incinerator	21,547		15.9		2,822
Mercier, Quebec(2)	Idled incinerator and legal proceedings	13,616		10.1		1,459
San Jose, CA	Open treatment, storage, or disposal facilities	9,223		6.8		949
Various(2)	All other incinerators, landfills, wastewater treatment facilities and service centers (34 facilities)	46,584		34.4		8,578
Various(2)	All other Superfund sites (each representing less than 5% of total liabilities) owned by third parties on which wastes generated or shipped by either the Company or the sellers of the CSD assets (or their predecessors) are present (13 sites)	7,150		5.3		715
Total		$	135,320	100.0	%	$	19,742

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(1) Amounts represent the high end of the range of management's best estimate of the reasonably possible additional liabilities.

(2) $26.7 million of the $135.3 million remedial liabilities and $2.7 million of the $19.7 million reasonably possible additional liabilities include estimates of remediation liabilities related to the legal and administrative proceedings discussed in Note 14, "Commitments and Contingencies," as well as other such estimated remedial liabilities.