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CLOSURE AND POST-CLOSURE LIABILITIES
 12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2012
Asset Retirement Obligation Disclosure [Abstract]  
CLOSURE AND POST-CLOSURE LIABILITIES
CLOSURE AND POST-CLOSURE LIABILITIES
The changes to closure and post-closure liabilities (also referred to as "asset retirement obligations") from January 1, 2011 through December 31, 2012 were as follows (in thousands):
 
Landfill
Retirement
Liability
 
Non-Landfill
Retirement
Liability
 
Total
Balance at January 1, 2011
$
29,756

 
$
8,923

 
$
38,679

Liabilities assumed in acquisitions
—

 
202

 
202

New asset retirement obligations
2,469

 
—

 
2,469

Accretion
2,255

 
1,126

 
3,381

Changes in estimates recorded to statement of income
(822
)
 
(580
)
 
(1,402
)
Changes in estimates recorded to balance sheet
(4,232
)
 
292

 
(3,940
)
Expenditures
(3,597
)
 
(935
)
 
(4,532
)
Currency translation and other
(65
)
 
89

 
24

Balance at December 31, 2011
25,764

 
9,117

 
34,881

Liabilities assumed in Safety-Kleen acquisition
—

 
17,753

 
17,753

New asset retirement obligations
3,257

 
—

 
3,257

Accretion
2,897

 
1,096

 
3,993

Changes in estimates recorded to statement of income
133

 
1,061

 
1,194

Changes in estimates recorded to balance sheet
(3,086
)
 
15

 
(3,071
)
Expenditures
(2,382
)
 
(1,463
)
 
(3,845
)
Currency translation and other
75

 
11

 
86

Balance at December 31, 2012
$
26,658

 
$
27,590

 
$
54,248


All of the landfill facilities included in the above were active as of December 31, 2012. The changes in estimates for non-landfill retirement liabilities in 2012 were primarily related to one site where the timing of the closure was accelerated.
New asset retirement obligations incurred in the period January through July 2012 were discounted at the credit-adjusted risk-free rate of 8.56%. Subsequent to the Company's $800.0 million senior unsecured notes offering which was completed on July 30, 2012, the Company recalculated its credit-adjusted risk-free rate. Beginning in August 2012, new asset retirement obligations were discounted at the rate of 6.66%. The Company has used a consistent inflation rate of 1.02% through the 2012 year. New asset retirement obligations incurred in 2011 were discounted at the credit-adjusted risk-free rate of 8.79% and inflated at a rate of 1.01%.
Anticipated payments (based on current estimated costs and anticipated timing of necessary regulatory approvals to commence work on closure and post-closure activities) for each of the next five years and thereafter are as follows (in thousands):
Year ending December 31,
 
2013
$
9,501

2014
9,830

2015
7,663

2016
5,216

2017
5,850

Thereafter
261,385

Undiscounted closure and post-closure liabilities
299,445

Less: Discount at credit-adjusted risk-free rate
(156,559
)
Less: Undiscounted estimated closure and post-closure liabilities relating to airspace not yet consumed
(88,638
)
Present value of closure and post-closure liabilities
$
54,248