SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES LANDFILL ASSETS (Details) (USD $) In Millions, unless otherwise specified	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2011 Expansions yd3 Landfill_Sites service_locations	Dec. 31, 2010 yd3	Dec. 31, 2009 yd3
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]
Application Approvals	5 years
Number of Expansions	1
Number of Service Locations	1
Percentage of Airspace Remaining	22.50%
Landfill Sites	11
Remaining Highly Probable Airspace	27,557,000
Permitted, But Not Highly Probable Airspace	1,500,000
Remaining capacity, beginning of period	28,557,000	25,765,000	28,308,000
Addition (reduction) of Highly Probable Airspace	102,000	3,905,000	(1,635,000)
Consumed	(1,102,000)	(1,113,000)	(908,000)
Remaining capacity, end of period	27,557,000	28,557,000	25,765,000
Landfill Final Closure and Post-Closure Liabilities	$ 25.8	$ 29.8
Regulatory Post-Closure Period for Landfill	30
Asset Retirment Obligations	1.01%	1.02%
Credit Adjusted Risk Free Rate	8.79%	9.74%
Non-landfill Closure and Post-Closure Liabilities	9.1	8.9
Closure and Post-closure Liabilities [Member]
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]
Estimated useful life, minimum (in years)	10
Estimated useful life, maximum (in years)	30
Landfill [Member]
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]
Amortization	$ 10.4	$ 8.7	6.8
non-commercial landfills [Member]
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]
Landfill Sites	2
Permitted [Member]
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]
Remaining Highly Probable Airspace	21,345,000
Unpermitted [Member]
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]
Remaining Highly Probable Airspace	6,212,000
Altair [Member] | TEXAS
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]
Remaining Lives (Years)	17
Remaining Highly Probable Airspace	917,000
Altair [Member] | TEXAS | Permitted [Member]
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]
Remaining Highly Probable Airspace	917,000
Altair [Member] | TEXAS | Unpermitted [Member]
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]
Remaining Highly Probable Airspace	0
Buttonwillow [Member] | CALIFORNIA
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]
Remaining Lives (Years)	36
Remaining Highly Probable Airspace	8,358,000
Buttonwillow [Member] | CALIFORNIA | Permitted [Member]
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]
Remaining Highly Probable Airspace	8,358,000
Buttonwillow [Member] | CALIFORNIA | Unpermitted [Member]
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]
Remaining Highly Probable Airspace	0
Deer Park [Member] | TEXAS
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]
Remaining Lives (Years)	10
Remaining Highly Probable Airspace	411,000
Deer Park [Member] | TEXAS | Permitted [Member]
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]
Remaining Highly Probable Airspace	411,000
Deer Park [Member] | TEXAS | Unpermitted [Member]
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]
Remaining Highly Probable Airspace	0
Deer Trail [Member] | COLORADO
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]
Remaining Lives (Years)	17
Remaining Highly Probable Airspace	711,000
Deer Trail [Member] | COLORADO | Permitted [Member]
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]
Remaining Highly Probable Airspace	711,000
Deer Trail [Member] | COLORADO | Unpermitted [Member]
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]
Remaining Highly Probable Airspace	0
Grassy Mountain [Member] | UTAH
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]
Remaining Lives (Years)	22
Remaining Highly Probable Airspace	2,244,000
Grassy Mountain [Member] | UTAH | Permitted [Member]
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]
Remaining Highly Probable Airspace	2,244,000
Grassy Mountain [Member] | UTAH | Unpermitted [Member]
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]
Remaining Highly Probable Airspace	0
Kimball [Member] | NEBRASKA
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]
Remaining Lives (Years)	12
Remaining Highly Probable Airspace	335,000
Kimball [Member] | NEBRASKA | Permitted [Member]
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]
Remaining Highly Probable Airspace	335,000
Kimball [Member] | NEBRASKA | Unpermitted [Member]
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]
Remaining Highly Probable Airspace	0
Lambton [Member] | ONTARIO
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]
Remaining Lives (Years)	82
Remaining Highly Probable Airspace	6,405,000
Lambton [Member] | ONTARIO | Permitted [Member]
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]
Remaining Highly Probable Airspace	193,000
Lambton [Member] | ONTARIO | Unpermitted [Member]
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]
Remaining Highly Probable Airspace	6,212,000
Lone Mountain [Member] | OKLAHOMA
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]
Remaining Lives (Years)	26
Remaining Highly Probable Airspace	3,631,000
Lone Mountain [Member] | OKLAHOMA | Permitted [Member]
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]
Remaining Highly Probable Airspace	3,631,000
Lone Mountain [Member] | OKLAHOMA | Unpermitted [Member]
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]
Remaining Highly Probable Airspace	0
Ryley [Member] | ALBERTA
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]
Remaining Lives (Years)	6
Remaining Highly Probable Airspace	901,000
Ryley [Member] | ALBERTA | Permitted [Member]
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]
Remaining Highly Probable Airspace	901,000
Ryley [Member] | ALBERTA | Unpermitted [Member]
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]
Remaining Highly Probable Airspace	0
Sawyer [Member] | NORTH DAKOTA
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]
Remaining Lives (Years)	15
Remaining Highly Probable Airspace	912,000
Sawyer [Member] | NORTH DAKOTA | Permitted [Member]
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]
Remaining Highly Probable Airspace	912,000
Sawyer [Member] | NORTH DAKOTA | Unpermitted [Member]
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]
Remaining Highly Probable Airspace	0
Westmorland [Member] | CALIFORNIA
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]
Remaining Lives (Years)	64
Remaining Highly Probable Airspace	2,732,000
Westmorland [Member] | CALIFORNIA | Permitted [Member]
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]
Remaining Highly Probable Airspace	2,732,000
Westmorland [Member] | CALIFORNIA | Unpermitted [Member]
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]
Remaining Highly Probable Airspace	0