GUARANTOR AND NON-GUARANTOR SUBSIDIARIES FINANCIAL INFORMATION (Details 3) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2012	Sep. 30, 2011	Sep. 30, 2012	Sep. 30, 2011
Consolidating statement of income
Revenues	$ 533,806	$ 556,053	$ 1,628,946	$ 1,438,250
Cost of revenues (exclusive of items shown separately below)	372,940	386,518	1,140,878	1,006,849
Selling, general and administrative expenses	60,339	65,704	197,892	178,752
Accretion of environmental liabilities	2,488	2,435	7,409	7,231
Depreciation and amortization	41,300	34,604	116,794	87,000
Income from operations	56,739	66,792	165,973	158,418
Other (expense) income	(91)	164	(465)	5,931
Gains (Losses) on Extinguishment of Debt	(26,385)	0	(26,385)	0
Interest (expense) income	(11,596)	(10,927)	(33,836)	(28,047)
Equity in earnings of subsidiaries	0	0	0	0
Intercompany dividend income (expense)	0	0	0	0
Intercompany interest income (expense)	0	0	0	0
Income from continuing operations, before provision for income taxes	18,667	56,029	105,287	136,302
Provision (benefit) for income taxes	6,308	18,896	37,487	47,283
Net income	12,359	37,133	67,800	89,019
Other comprehensive (loss) income	29,980	(58,144)	27,703	(38,537)
Comprehensive income	42,339	(21,011)	95,503	50,482
Clean Harbors, Inc.
Consolidating statement of income
Revenues	0	0	0	0
Cost of revenues (exclusive of items shown separately below)	0	0	0	0
Selling, general and administrative expenses	9	27	27	77
Accretion of environmental liabilities	0	0	0	0
Depreciation and amortization	0	0	0	0
Income from operations	(9)	(27)	(27)	(77)
Other (expense) income	0	0	0	0
Gains (Losses) on Extinguishment of Debt	(26,385)		(26,385)
Interest (expense) income	(11,247)	(10,739)	(32,679)	(28,045)
Equity in earnings of subsidiaries	50,039	52,408	124,965	129,273
Intercompany dividend income (expense)	0	0	10,010	0
Intercompany interest income (expense)	0	0	0	0
Income from continuing operations, before provision for income taxes	12,398	41,642	75,884	101,151
Provision (benefit) for income taxes	39	4,509	8,084	12,132
Net income	12,359	37,133	67,800	89,019
Other comprehensive (loss) income	29,980	(58,144)	27,703	(38,537)
Comprehensive income	42,339	(21,011)	95,503	50,482
U.S. Guarantor Subsidiaries
Consolidating statement of income
Revenues	314,822	327,093	920,101	838,654
Cost of revenues (exclusive of items shown separately below)	218,697	229,272	630,652	582,767
Selling, general and administrative expenses	35,810	39,889	122,167	114,621
Accretion of environmental liabilities	2,150	2,120	6,430	6,297
Depreciation and amortization	20,778	16,069	56,568	41,760
Income from operations	37,387	39,743	104,284	93,209
Other (expense) income	(8)	51	(333)	3,781
Gains (Losses) on Extinguishment of Debt	0		0
Interest (expense) income	180	(10)	0	163
Equity in earnings of subsidiaries	15,869	18,548	49,236	50,260
Intercompany dividend income (expense)	0	0	0	0
Intercompany interest income (expense)	10,290	6,759	30,894	24,459
Income from continuing operations, before provision for income taxes	63,718	65,091	184,081	171,872
Provision (benefit) for income taxes	3,831	8,335	19,473	21,511
Net income	59,887	56,756	164,608	150,361
Other comprehensive (loss) income	29,980	(58,144)	27,703	(38,537)
Comprehensive income	89,867	(1,388)	192,311	111,824
Foreign Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries
Consolidating statement of income
Revenues	223,982	237,589	724,532	619,615
Cost of revenues (exclusive of items shown separately below)	159,241	165,875	525,913	444,101
Selling, general and administrative expenses	24,520	25,788	75,698	64,054
Accretion of environmental liabilities	338	315	979	934
Depreciation and amortization	20,522	18,535	60,226	45,240
Income from operations	19,361	27,076	61,716	65,286
Other (expense) income	(83)	113	(132)	2,150
Gains (Losses) on Extinguishment of Debt	0		0
Interest (expense) income	(529)	(178)	(1,157)	(165)
Equity in earnings of subsidiaries	0	0	0	0
Intercompany dividend income (expense)	3,439	3,491	10,354	10,484
Intercompany interest income (expense)	(10,290)	(6,759)	(30,894)	(24,459)
Income from continuing operations, before provision for income taxes	11,898	23,743	39,887	53,296
Provision (benefit) for income taxes	2,438	6,052	9,930	13,640
Net income	9,460	17,691	29,957	39,656
Other comprehensive (loss) income	13,042	(20,839)	11,370	(15,044)
Comprehensive income	22,502	(3,148)	41,327	24,612
Consolidating Adjustments
Consolidating statement of income
Revenues	(4,998)	(8,629)	(15,687)	(20,019)
Cost of revenues (exclusive of items shown separately below)	(4,998)	(8,629)	(15,687)	(20,019)
Selling, general and administrative expenses	0	0	0	0
Accretion of environmental liabilities	0	0	0	0
Depreciation and amortization	0	0	0	0
Income from operations	0	0	0	0
Other (expense) income	0	0	0	0
Gains (Losses) on Extinguishment of Debt			0
Interest (expense) income	0	0	0	0
Equity in earnings of subsidiaries	(65,908)	(70,956)	(174,201)	(179,533)
Intercompany dividend income (expense)	(3,439)	(3,491)	(20,364)	(10,484)
Intercompany interest income (expense)	0	0	0	0
Income from continuing operations, before provision for income taxes	(69,347)	(74,447)	(194,565)	(190,017)
Provision (benefit) for income taxes	0		0	0
Net income	(69,347)	(74,447)	(194,565)	(190,017)
Other comprehensive (loss) income	(43,022)	78,983	(39,073)	53,581
Comprehensive income	$ (112,369)	$ 4,536	$ (233,638)	$ (136,436)