INCOME TAXES INCOME TAXES (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2012

Schedule of Income before Income Tax, Domestic and Foreign [Table Text Block]

The domestic and foreign components of income before provision for income taxes were as follows (in thousands):



	For the Year Ended December 31,
	2012		2011		2010
Domestic	$	90,240	$	128,201	$	161,969
Foreign	37,490		56,477		26,388
Total	$	127,730	$	184,678	$	188,357

Schedule of Components of Income Tax Expense (Benefit) [Table Text Block]

The (benefit) provision for income taxes consisted of the following (in thousands):



	For the Year Ended December 31,
	2012			2011			2010
Current:
Federal (i)	$	(29,401	)	$	16,285		$	48,974
State	(10,736		)	6,002			10,397
Foreign	4,030			(2,697		)	(5,687		)
	(36,107		)	19,590			53,684
Deferred
Federal	23,521			22,455			1,207
State	2,865			2,710			(647		)
Foreign	7,777			12,671			3,598
	34,163			37,836			4,158
Net (benefit) provision for income taxes	$	(1,944	)	$	57,426		$	57,842

Schedule of Effective Income Tax Rate Reconciliation [Table Text Block]

The effective income tax rate varied from the amount computed using the statutory federal income tax rate as follows (in thousands):



	For the Year Ended December 31,
	2012			2011			2010
Tax expense at statutory rate	$	44,705		$	64,637		$	65,925
State income taxes, net of federal benefit	3,526			5,788			6,966
Foreign rate differential	(8,607		)	(10,229		)	(6,752		)
Non-deductible transaction costs	2,229			416			—
Uncertain tax position releases	(52,424		)	(6,156		)	(14,282		)
Uncertain tax position interest and penalties	1,658			2,240			2,636
Other	6,969			730			3,349
Net (benefit) provision for income taxes	$	(1,944	)	$	57,426		$	57,842

Schedule of Deferred Tax Assets and Liabilities [Table Text Block]

The components of the total net deferred tax assets and liabilities at December 31, 2012 and 2011 were as follows (in thousands):



	2012			2011
Deferred tax assets:
Workers compensation accrual	$	4,961		$	5,011
Provision for doubtful accounts	7,451			4,803
Closure, post-closure and remedial liabilities	52,382			31,082
Accrued expenses	20,102			13,635
Accrued compensation	5,000			2,279
Net operating loss carryforwards(1)	92,623			23,663
Tax credit carryforwards(2)	31,939			19,977
Uncertain tax positions accrued interest and federal benefit	350			11,462
Stock-based compensation	844			1,884
Other	1,121			4,421
Total deferred tax assets	216,773			118,217
Deferred tax liabilities:
Property, plant and equipment	(220,086		)	(114,115		)
Permits and other intangible assets	(155,214		)	(20,547		)
Total deferred tax liabilities	(375,300		)	(134,662		)
Total net deferred tax liability before valuation allowance	(158,527		)	(16,445		)
Less valuation allowance	(25,635		)	(11,473		)
Net deferred tax liabilities	$	(184,162	)	$	(27,918	)

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(1)	As of December 31, 2012, the net operating loss carryforwards included (i) state net operating loss carryovers of $150.1 million which begin to expire in 2019, (ii) federal net operating loss carryforwards of $212.1 million which begin to expire in 2025, and (iii) foreign net operating loss carryforwards of $53.9 million which begin to expire in 2026.


(2)	As of December 31, 2012, foreign tax credit carryforwards of $31.9 million expire between 2013 and 2022 as follows:



Years Ending December 31,	Expected Amount
2013	$	4,656
2014	3,603
2015	889
2016	1,164
2017	1,192
Thereafter	20,435
	$	31,939

Summary of Income Tax Contingencies [Table Text Block]

The changes to unrecognized tax benefits (excluding related penalties and interest) from January 1, 2010 through December 31, 2012, were as follows (in thousands):



	2012			2011			2010			Description
Unrecognized tax benefits as of January 1	$	36,217		$	39,709		$	48,178
Gross adjustments in tax positions	—			(302		)	498			Additional Canadian liabilities
Gross increases due to current year acquisitions	2,652			376			—			Additional U.S. and Canadian liabilities
Settlements	—			(75		)	—			Required payments
Expiration of statute of limitations	(35,328		)	(3,436		)	(8,929		)	U.S. and Canadian
Foreign currency translation	2			(55		)	(38		)	Currency translation adjustment
Unrecognized tax benefits as of December 31	$	3,543		$	36,217		$	39,709

- Definition

Tabular disclosure of tax positions taken in the tax returns filed or to be filed for which it is more likely than not that the tax position will not be sustained upon examination by taxing authorities (i.e., uncertain tax positions) and other types of income tax contingencies, including: (1) the policy on classification of interest and penalties; (2) a tabular reconciliation of the total amounts of unrecognized tax benefits at the beginning and end of the period; the total amount(s) of: (3) unrecognized tax benefits that, if recognized, would affect the effective tax rate, and (4) interest and penalties recognized in each of the income statement and balance sheet; (5) for positions for which it is reasonably possible that the total amounts unrecognized will significantly change within 12 months of the reporting date the: (i) nature of the uncertainty, (ii) nature of the event that could occur that would cause the change, and (iii) an estimate of the range of the reasonably possible change or a statement that an estimate of the range cannot be made; and (6) a description of tax years that remain subject to examination by major tax jurisdictions.

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