INCOME TAXES INCOME TAXES (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2011

Schedule of Income before Income Tax, Domestic and Foreign [Table Text Block]

The domestic and foreign components of income before provision for income taxes were as follows (in thousands):



	For the Year Ended December 31,
	2011		2010		2009
Domestic	$	128,201	$	161,969	$	57,763
Foreign	56,477		26,388		5,742
Total	$	184,678	$	188,357	$	63,505

Schedule of Components of Income Tax Expense (Benefit) [Table Text Block]

The provision for income taxes consisted of the following (in thousands):



	For the Year Ended December 31,
	2011			2010			2009
Current:
Federal	$	16,285		$	48,974		$	12,059
State	6,002			10,397			3,163
Foreign	(2,697		)	(5,687		)	6,868
	19,590			53,684			22,090
Deferred
Federal	22,455			1,207			4,965
State	2,710			(647		)	968
Foreign	12,671			3,598			(1,204		)
	37,836			4,158			4,729
Net provision for income taxes	$	57,426		$	57,842		$	26,819

Schedule of Effective Income Tax Rate Reconciliation [Table Text Block]

The effective income tax rate varied from the amount computed using the statutory federal income tax rate as follows (in thousands):



	For the Year Ended December 31,
	2011			2010			2009
Tax expense at statutory rate	$	64,637		$	65,925		$	22,227
State income taxes, net of federal benefit	5,788			6,966			2,067
Foreign rate differential	(10,229		)	(6,752		)	(4,213		)
Non-deductible transaction costs	416			—			1,921
Uncertain tax position releases, net of benefit	(6,156		)	(14,282		)	—
Uncertain tax position interest and penalties, net of benefit	2,240			2,636			3,482
Other	730			3,349			1,335
Net provision for income taxes	$	57,426		$	57,842		$	26,819

Schedule of Deferred Tax Assets and Liabilities [Table Text Block]

The components of the total net deferred tax assets and liabilities at December 31, 2011 and 2010 were as follows (in thousands):



	2011			2010
Deferred tax assets:
Workers compensation accrual	$	5,011		$	4,750
Provision for doubtful accounts	4,803			8,191
Closure, post-closure and remedial liabilities	31,082			35,885
Accrued expenses	13,635			11,960
Accrued compensation	2,279			1,394
Net operating loss carryforwards(1)	23,663			2,246
Tax credit carryforwards(2)	19,977			17,324
Uncertain tax positions accrued interest and federal benefit	11,462			10,341
Stock-based compensation	1,884			2,749
Other	4,421			4,359
Total deferred tax asset	118,217			99,199
Deferred tax liabilities:
Property, plant and equipment	(114,115		)	(64,626		)
Permits and customer databases	(20,547		)	(19,412		)
Total deferred tax liability	(134,662		)	(84,038		)
Total net deferred tax (liability) asset before valuation allowance	(16,445		)	15,161
Less valuation allowance	(11,473		)	(12,919		)
Net deferred tax (liability) asset	$	(27,918	)	$	2,242

___________________________________

(1)

As of December 31, 2011, the net operating loss carryforwards included (i) state net operating loss carryovers of $18.7 million which begin to expire in 2019 and federal net operating loss carryforwards of $15.3 million which begin to expire in 2028, and (ii) Canadian net operating losses of $65.8 million which begin to expire in 2026 and other foreign net operating losses of $0.8 million which begin to expire in 2013.


(2)	As of December 31, 2011, foreign tax credit carryforwards of $20.0 million expire between 2012 and 2021 as follows:

Summary of Tax Credit Carryforwards [Table Text Block]

As of December 31, 2011, foreign tax credit carryforwards of $20.0 million expire between 2012 and 2021 as follows:



Years Ending December 31,	Expected Amount
2012	$	788
2013	4,828
2014	3,687
2015	682
2016	1,164
Thereafter	8,828
	$	19,977

Summary of Income Tax Contingencies [Table Text Block]

The changes to unrecognized tax benefits (excluding related penalties and interest) from January 1, 2008 through December 31, 2011, were as follows (in thousands):

- Definition

Tabular disclosure of tax positions taken in the tax returns filed or to be filed for which it is more likely than not that the tax position will not be sustained upon examination by taxing authorities (i.e., uncertain tax positions) and other types of income tax contingencies, including: (1) the policy on classification of interest and penalties; (2) a tabular reconciliation of the total amounts of unrecognized tax benefits at the beginning and end of the period; the total amount(s) of: (3) unrecognized tax benefits that, if recognized, would affect the effective tax rate, and (4) interest and penalties recognized in each of the income statement and balance sheet; (5) for positions for which it is reasonably possible that the total amounts unrecognized will significantly change within 12 months of the reporting date the: (i) nature of the uncertainty, (ii) nature of the event that could occur that would cause the change, and (iii) an estimate of the range of the reasonably possible change or a statement that an estimate of the range cannot be made; and (6) a description of tax years that remain subject to examination by major tax jurisdictions.

+ References+ Details

- Definition

Tabular disclosure of tax credit carryforwards available to reduce future taxable income, including amounts, expiration dates, limitations on use and the related deferred tax assets and valuation allowances.

+ References+ Details