SEGMENT REPORTING (Details) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	3 Months Ended								12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2011	Sep. 30, 2011	Jun. 30, 2011	Mar. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010	Sep. 30, 2010	Jun. 30, 2010	Mar. 31, 2010	Dec. 31, 2011 ReportableSegments		Dec. 31, 2010		Dec. 31, 2009
Segment reporting information
Third party revenues									$ 1,984,136		$ 1,731,244		$ 1,074,220
Intersegment revenues, net
Direct revenues	545,886	556,053	447,235	434,962	417,058	487,651	471,639	354,896	1,984,136		1,731,244		1,074,220
Property, plant and equipment, net	903,947				655,394				903,947		655,394
Goodwill	122,392				60,252				122,392		60,252		56,085
Permits and other intangibles, net	139,644				114,400				139,644		114,400
Total assets	2,085,803				1,602,475				2,085,803		1,602,475
Reconciliation to Consolidated Statements of Income:
Accretion of environmental liabilities									9,680		10,307		10,617
Depreciation and amortization									122,663		92,473		64,898
Income from operations	59,247	66,792	51,884	39,742	42,998	73,372	71,923	23,619	217,665		211,912		82,065
Other income	(471)	(164)	(2,868)	(2,899)	(310)	669	(2,708)	(446)	(6,402)		(2,795)		(259)
Loss on early extinguishment of debt									0		2,294		4,853
Interest expense, net of interest income									39,389		27,936		15,999
Income from continuing operations, before provision for income taxes									184,678		184,477		61,472
Reporting segments number									4
Number of operations for which the revenues are insignificant									2
United States
Segment reporting information
Total assets	1,119,491				933,550				1,119,491		933,550
Canada
Segment reporting information
Total assets	961,936				664,534				961,936		664,534
Other foreign
Segment reporting information
Total assets	4,376				4,391				4,376		4,391
Reportable segments
Segment reporting information
Adjusted EBITDA, Total									350,008		314,692		157,580
Property, plant and equipment, net	903,946				655,394				903,946		655,394
Total Intangible assets	262,036				174,652				262,036		174,652
Total assets	2,085,803				1,602,475				2,085,803		1,602,475
Technical Services
Segment reporting information
Third party revenues									811,054		695,285		648,430
Intersegment revenues, net									19,473		24,869		24,763
Direct revenues									830,527		720,154		673,193
Adjusted EBITDA, Total									221,298		178,855		177,329
Property, plant and equipment, net	294,735				259,582				294,735		259,582
Goodwill	43,554				33,448				43,554		33,448
Permits and other intangibles, net	78,506				66,075				78,506		66,075
Total Intangible assets	122,060				99,523				122,060		99,523
Total assets	585,856				525,286				585,856		525,286
Field Services
Segment reporting information
Third party revenues									327,302	[1]	482,954	[1]	199,859
Intersegment revenues, net									(21,686)	[1]	(28,876)	[1]	(18,946)
Direct revenues									305,616	[1]	454,078	[1]	180,913
Adjusted EBITDA, Total									52,584		111,258		19,805
Property, plant and equipment, net	38,465				32,311				38,465		32,311
Goodwill	3,088				3,088				3,088		3,088
Permits and other intangibles, net	3,244				3,651				3,244		3,651
Total Intangible assets	6,332				6,739				6,332		6,739
Total assets	51,242				35,253				51,242		35,253
Field Services | Yellowstone River [Member]
Segment reporting information
Third party revenues									43,600
Field Services | Gulf of Mexico and Michigan [Member]
Segment reporting information
Third party revenues											253,000
Industrial Services
Segment reporting information
Third party revenues									454,823		350,901	[2]	150,164
Intersegment revenues, net									1,019		(1,126)	[2]	(5,185)
Direct revenues									455,842		349,775	[2]	144,979
Adjusted EBITDA, Total									95,588		75,681		22,195
Property, plant and equipment, net	248,031				180,781				248,031		180,781
Goodwill	42,590				10,934				42,590		10,934
Permits and other intangibles, net	21,442				17,906				21,442		17,906
Total Intangible assets	64,032				28,840				64,032		28,840
Total assets	329,544				221,472				329,544		221,472
Oil and Gas Field Services
Segment reporting information
Third party revenues									389,906		202,091	[2]	75,463
Intersegment revenues, net									2,935		6,986	[2]	1,384
Direct revenues									392,841		209,077	[2]	76,847
Adjusted EBITDA, Total									85,274		35,760		4,045
Property, plant and equipment, net	279,638				151,244				279,638		151,244
Goodwill	33,160				12,782				33,160		12,782
Permits and other intangibles, net	36,452				26,768				36,452		26,768
Total Intangible assets	69,612				39,550				69,612		39,550
Total assets	451,252				272,479				451,252		272,479
Corporate Items
Segment reporting information
Third party revenues									1,051		13		304
Intersegment revenues, net									(1,741)		(1,853)		(2,016)
Direct revenues									(690)		(1,840)		(1,712)
Adjusted EBITDA, Total									(104,736)		(86,862)		(65,794)
Property, plant and equipment, net	43,077				31,476				43,077		31,476
Total assets	$ 667,909				$ 547,985				$ 667,909		$ 547,985

[1] During the year ended December 31, 2011, third party revenues for the Field Services segment included revenues associated with the oil spill response efforts in Montana of $43.6 million. During the year ended December 31, 2010, third party revenues for the Field Services segment included revenues associated with the oil spill response efforts in the Gulf of Mexico and Michigan of $253.0 million.

[2] The year-over-year revenue growth from 2009 to 2010 was primarily due to a full year of operations of Eveready, which the Company acquired in July 2009.