GUARANTOR AND NON-GUARANTOR SUBSIDIARIES FINANCIAL INFORMATION (Condensed Consolidating Statements of Income (Loss)) (Details) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2013	Sep. 30, 2012	Sep. 30, 2013	Sep. 30, 2012
Consolidating statement of income
Service revenues	$ 702,033	$ 503,728	$ 2,048,527	$ 1,523,767
Product revenues	205,502	30,078	581,699	105,179
Total revenues	907,535	533,806	2,630,226	1,628,946
Service cost of revenues	478,434	348,758	1,402,409	1,056,174
Product cost of revenues	168,685	24,182	495,060	84,704
Total cost of revenues	647,119	372,940	1,897,469	1,140,878
Selling, general and administrative expenses	114,464	60,339	365,546	197,892
Accretion of environmental liabilities	2,914	2,488	8,628	7,409
Depreciation and amortization	69,430	41,300	196,904	116,794
Income from operations	73,608	56,739	161,679	165,973
Other (expense) income	(150)	(91)	2,030	(465)
Loss on early extinguishment of debt	0	(26,385)	0	(26,385)
Interest (expense) income	(19,326)	(11,596)	(58,784)	(33,836)
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 before provision for income taxes	54,132	18,667	104,925	105,287
Provision (benefit) for income taxes	18,771	6,308	36,160	37,487
Net income	35,361	12,359	68,765	67,800
Other comprehensive (loss) income	21,805	29,980	(37,562)	27,703
Comprehensive (loss) income	57,166	42,339	31,203	95,503
Clean Harbors, Inc.
Consolidating statement of income
Service revenues	0	0	0	0
Product revenues	0	0	0	0
Total revenues	0	0	0	0
Service cost of revenues	0	0	0	0
Product cost of revenues	0	0	0	0
Total cost of revenues	0	0	0	0
Selling, general and administrative expenses	29	9	84	27
Accretion of environmental liabilities	0	0	0	0
Depreciation and amortization	0	0	0	0
Income from operations	(29)	(9)	(84)	(27)
Other (expense) income	0	0	0	0
Loss on early extinguishment of debt		(26,385)		(26,385)
Interest (expense) income	(19,844)	(11,247)	(59,408)	(32,679)
Equity in earnings of subsidiaries	58,919	50,039	134,246	124,965
Intercompany dividend income (expense)	0	0	0	10,010
Intercompany interest income (expense)	0	0	0	0
Income before provision for income taxes	39,046	12,398	74,754	75,884
Provision (benefit) for income taxes	3,685	39	5,989	8,084
Net income	35,361	12,359	68,765	67,800
Other comprehensive (loss) income	21,805	29,980	(37,562)	27,703
Comprehensive (loss) income	57,166	42,339	31,203	95,503
U.S. Guarantor Subsidiaries
Consolidating statement of income
Service revenues	445,165	290,295	1,295,525	850,737
Product revenues	169,743	24,527	463,301	69,364
Total revenues	614,908	314,822	1,758,826	920,101
Service cost of revenues	300,859	198,793	873,945	575,006
Product cost of revenues	139,683	19,904	395,891	55,646
Total cost of revenues	440,542	218,697	1,269,836	630,652
Selling, general and administrative expenses	81,496	35,810	266,941	122,167
Accretion of environmental liabilities	2,478	2,150	7,315	6,430
Depreciation and amortization	45,533	20,778	127,042	56,568
Income from operations	44,859	37,387	87,692	104,284
Other (expense) income	(111)	(8)	2,858	(333)
Loss on early extinguishment of debt		0		0
Interest (expense) income	137	180	137	0
Equity in earnings of subsidiaries	21,064	15,869	57,040	49,236
Intercompany dividend income (expense)	0	0	0	0
Intercompany interest income (expense)	10,107	10,290	30,414	30,894
Income before provision for income taxes	76,056	63,718	178,141	184,081
Provision (benefit) for income taxes	8,218	3,831	14,753	19,473
Net income	67,838	59,887	163,388	164,608
Other comprehensive (loss) income	21,805	29,980	(37,562)	27,703
Comprehensive (loss) income	89,643	89,867	125,826	192,311
Foreign Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries
Consolidating statement of income
Service revenues	256,812	218,304	755,856	687,924
Product revenues	35,815	5,678	119,267	36,608
Total revenues	292,627	223,982	875,123	724,532
Service cost of revenues	177,519	154,836	531,318	496,062
Product cost of revenues	29,058	4,405	100,038	29,851
Total cost of revenues	206,577	159,241	631,356	525,913
Selling, general and administrative expenses	32,939	24,520	98,521	75,698
Accretion of environmental liabilities	436	338	1,313	979
Depreciation and amortization	23,897	20,522	69,862	60,226
Income from operations	28,778	19,361	74,071	61,716
Other (expense) income	(39)	(83)	(828)	(132)
Loss on early extinguishment of debt		0		0
Interest (expense) income	381	(529)	487	(1,157)
Equity in earnings of subsidiaries	0	0	0	0
Intercompany dividend income (expense)	3,063	3,439	10,031	10,354
Intercompany interest income (expense)	(10,107)	(10,290)	(30,414)	(30,894)
Income before provision for income taxes	22,076	11,898	53,347	39,887
Provision (benefit) for income taxes	6,868	2,438	15,418	9,930
Net income	15,208	9,460	37,929	29,957
Other comprehensive (loss) income	(10,072)	13,042	20,385	11,370
Comprehensive (loss) income	5,136	22,502	58,314	41,327
Consolidating Adjustments
Consolidating statement of income
Service revenues	56	(4,871)	(2,854)	(14,894)
Product revenues	(56)	(127)	(869)	(793)
Total revenues	0	(4,998)	(3,723)	(15,687)
Service cost of revenues	56	(4,871)	(2,854)	(14,894)
Product cost of revenues	(56)	(127)	(869)	(793)
Total cost of revenues	0	(4,998)	(3,723)	(15,687)
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
Loss on early extinguishment of debt		0		0
Interest (expense) income	0	0	0	0
Equity in earnings of subsidiaries	(79,983)	(65,908)	(191,286)	(174,201)
Intercompany dividend income (expense)	(3,063)	(3,439)	(10,031)	(20,364)
Intercompany interest income (expense)	0	0	0	0
Income before provision for income taxes	(83,046)	(69,347)	(201,317)	(194,565)
Provision (benefit) for income taxes	0	0	0	0
Net income	(83,046)	(69,347)	(201,317)	(194,565)
Other comprehensive (loss) income	(11,733)	(43,022)	17,177	(39,073)
Comprehensive (loss) income	$ (94,779)	$ (112,369)	$ (184,140)	$ (233,638)