CLOSURE AND POST-CLOSURE LIABILITIES (Details) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010
Changes to post-closure liabilities
Balance at the beginning of the period	$ 38,679,000	$ 35,810,000
Liabilities assumed in acquisitions	202,000
New asset retirement obligations	2,469,000	1,873,000
Accretion	3,381,000	3,800,000
Changes in estimates recorded to statement of income	(1,402,000)	(138,000)
Other changes in estimates recorded to balance sheet	(3,940,000)	385,000
Expenditures	(4,532,000)	(3,187,000)
Currency translation and other	24,000	136,000
Balance at the end of the period	34,881,000	38,679,000
Credit-adjusted risk-free rate (as a percent)	8.79%	9.74%
Inflation rate (as a percent)	1.01%	1.02%
Environmental Property Sale, Disposal or Abandonment Costs
2012	4,371,000
2013	6,090,000
2014	6,251,000
2015	7,264,000
2016	5,800,000
Thereafter	223,960,000
Undiscounted Closure and Post-Closure Liabilities	253,736,000
Less: Reserves to be provided (including discount of $131.5 million) over remaining site lives	(218,855,000)
Discount Reserves	131.5
Present value of closure and post-closure liabilities	34,881,000	38,679,000
Landfill Retirement Liability
Changes to post-closure liabilities
Balance at the beginning of the period	29,756,000	28,070,000
Liabilities assumed in acquisitions
New asset retirement obligations	2,469,000	1,873,000
Accretion	2,255,000	2,746,000
Changes in estimates recorded to statement of income	(822,000)	(89,000)
Other changes in estimates recorded to balance sheet	(4,232,000)	6,000
Expenditures	(3,597,000)	(2,962,000)
Currency translation and other	(65,000)	112,000
Balance at the end of the period	25,764,000	29,756,000
Environmental Property Sale, Disposal or Abandonment Costs
Present value of closure and post-closure liabilities	25,764,000	29,756,000
Non-Landfill Retirement Liability
Changes to post-closure liabilities
Balance at the beginning of the period	8,923,000	7,740,000
Liabilities assumed in acquisitions	202,000
New asset retirement obligations
Accretion	1,126,000	1,054,000
Changes in estimates recorded to statement of income	(580,000)	(49,000)
Other changes in estimates recorded to balance sheet	292,000	379,000
Expenditures	(935,000)	(225,000)
Currency translation and other	89,000	24,000
Balance at the end of the period	9,117,000	8,923,000
Environmental Property Sale, Disposal or Abandonment Costs
Present value of closure and post-closure liabilities	$ 9,117,000	$ 8,923,000