GUARANTOR AND NON-GUARANTOR SUBSIDIARIES FINANCIAL INFORMATION (Details 3) (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	Dec. 31, 2010	Dec. 31, 2009
Consolidating statement of income
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
Cost of revenues (exclusive of items shown separately below)	373,142	[1]	386,518	[1]	307,754	[1]	312,577	[1]	290,770	[1]	335,273	[1]	324,280	[1]	260,417	[1]	1,379,991	1,210,740	753,483
Selling, general and administrative expenses																	254,137	205,812	163,157
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) income																	(39,389)	(27,936)	(15,999)
Equity in earnings of subsidiaries																	0	0	0
Intercompany dividend income (expense)																	0	0	0
Intercompany interest income (expense)																	0	0	0
Income from continuing operations, before provision for income taxes																	184,678	184,477	61,472
Provision for income taxes																	57,426	56,756	26,225
Income from continuing operations																	127,252	127,721	35,247
Income from discontinued operations, net of tax									0		0		2,412		382		0	2,794	1,439
Net income	38,233		37,133		29,156		22,730		23,329		38,827		57,929		10,430		127,252	130,515	36,686
Clean Harbors, Inc.
Consolidating statement of income
Revenues																	0	0	0
Cost of revenues (exclusive of items shown separately below)																	0	0	0
Selling, general and administrative expenses																	100	100	145
Accretion of environmental liabilities																	0	0	0
Depreciation and amortization																	0	0	0
Income from operations																	(100)	(100)	(145)
Other income																	0	0	0
Loss on early extinguishment of debt																		(2,294)	(2,538)
Interest (expense) income																	(38,755)	(28,037)	(14,340)
Equity in earnings of subsidiaries																	174,029	186,377	74,367
Intercompany dividend income (expense)																	10,186	0	0
Intercompany interest income (expense)																	0	0	0
Income from continuing operations, before provision for income taxes																	145,360	155,946	57,344
Provision for income taxes																	18,108	25,431	20,658
Income from continuing operations																	127,252	130,515	36,686
Income from discontinued operations, net of tax																		0	0
Net income																		130,515	36,686
U.S. Guarantor Subsidiaries
Consolidating statement of income
Revenues																	1,141,935	1,136,249	780,495
Cost of revenues (exclusive of items shown separately below)																	786,771	777,607	547,103
Selling, general and administrative expenses																	165,882	141,746	121,780
Accretion of environmental liabilities																	8,442	9,181	9,610
Depreciation and amortization																	58,328	49,005	45,573
Income from operations																	122,512	158,710	56,429
Other income																	3,864	489	125
Loss on early extinguishment of debt																		0	0
Interest (expense) income																	18	226	(861)
Equity in earnings of subsidiaries																	84,789	49,869	29,403
Intercompany dividend income (expense)																	0	0	0
Intercompany interest income (expense)																	37,870	32,910	19,478
Income from continuing operations, before provision for income taxes																	249,053	242,204	104,574
Provision for income taxes																	29,341	37,754	802
Income from continuing operations																	219,712	204,450	103,772
Income from discontinued operations, net of tax																		0	0
Net income																		204,450	103,772
Foreign Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries
Consolidating statement of income
Revenues																	870,043	612,059	285,246
Cost of revenues (exclusive of items shown separately below)																	621,062	450,197	197,901
Selling, general and administrative expenses																	88,155	63,966	41,232
Accretion of environmental liabilities																	1,238	1,126	1,007
Depreciation and amortization																	64,335	43,468	19,325
Income from operations																	95,253	53,302	25,781
Other income																	2,538	2,306	134
Loss on early extinguishment of debt																		0	(2,315)
Interest (expense) income																	(652)	(125)	(798)
Equity in earnings of subsidiaries																	0	0	0
Intercompany dividend income (expense)																	13,832	13,282	12,038
Intercompany interest income (expense)																	(37,870)	(32,910)	(19,478)
Income from continuing operations, before provision for income taxes																	73,101	35,855	15,362
Provision for income taxes																	9,977	(6,429)	4,765
Income from continuing operations																	63,124	42,284	10,597
Income from discontinued operations, net of tax																		2,794	1,439
Net income																		45,078	12,036
Consolidating Adjustments
Consolidating statement of income
Revenues																	(27,842)	(17,064)	8,479
Cost of revenues (exclusive of items shown separately below)																	(27,842)	(17,064)	8,479
Selling, general and administrative expenses																	0	0	0
Accretion of environmental liabilities																	0	0	0
Depreciation and amortization																	0	0	0
Income from operations																	0	0	0
Other income																	0	0	0
Loss on early extinguishment of debt																		0	0
Interest (expense) income																	0	0	0
Equity in earnings of subsidiaries																	(258,818)	(236,246)	(103,770)
Intercompany dividend income (expense)																	(24,018)	(13,282)	(12,038)
Intercompany interest income (expense)																	0	0	0
Income from continuing operations, before provision for income taxes																	(282,836)	(249,528)	(115,808)
Provision for income taxes																	0	0	0
Income from continuing operations																	(282,836)	(249,528)	(115,808)
Income from discontinued operations, net of tax																		0	0
Net income																		$ (249,528)	$ (115,808)

[1] Items shown separately on the statements of income consist of (i) accretion of environmental liabilities and (ii) depreciation and amortization.