Accounting Policies and Basis of Presentation	9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2015
Accounting Policies [Abstract]
Accounting Policies and Basis of Presentation	Accounting Policies and Basis of Presentation: Compass Minerals International, Inc., through its subsidiaries, is a producer and marketer of essential mineral products with manufacturing sites in North America and the United Kingdom (“U.K.”). References to the “Company,” “Compass,” “Compass Minerals,” “CMP,” “we,” “us” and “our” refer to Compass Minerals International, Inc. (“CMI”, the parent holding company) and its consolidated subsidiaries. The Company’s principal products are salt, consisting of sodium chloride and magnesium chloride, and sulfate of potash (“SOP”), a specialty fertilizer the Company markets under the trade name Protassium+™. Additionally, the Company sells various premium micronutrient products under its Wolf Trax® brand. The Company provides highway deicing products to customers in North America and the U.K., and plant nutrients to growers and fertilizer distributors worldwide. The Company also produces and markets consumer deicing and water conditioning products, ingredients used in consumer and commercial food preparation, and other mineral-based products for consumer, agricultural and industrial applications. Compass Minerals also provides records management services to businesses located in the U.K. CMP is a holding company with no operations other than those of its wholly-owned subsidiaries. The consolidated financial statements include the accounts of CMP and its wholly-owned subsidiaries. All significant intercompany balances and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation. The accompanying unaudited consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles for interim financial information and with the instructions to Form 10-Q and Article 10 of Regulation S-X. Accordingly, they do not include all of the information and footnotes required by U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”) for complete financial statements. These unaudited consolidated financial statements should be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements of CMP for the year ended December 31, 2014 as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission in its Annual Report on Form 10-K. In the opinion of management, all adjustments, consisting of normal recurring accruals considered necessary for a fair presentation, have been included. The Company experiences a substantial amount of seasonality in salt segment sales, primarily with respect to its deicing products. As a result, sales and operating income are generally higher in the first and fourth quarters and lower during the second and third quarters of each year. In particular, sales of highway and consumer deicing salt and magnesium chloride products vary based on the severity of the winter conditions in areas where the product is used. Following industry practice in North America and the U.K., the Company seeks to stockpile sufficient quantities of deicing salt throughout the second, third and fourth quarters to meet the estimated requirements for the upcoming winter season. Production of deicing salt can vary based on the severity or mildness of the preceding winter season. Due to the seasonal nature of the deicing product lines, operating results for the interim periods are not necessarily indicative of the results that may be expected for the full year. Recent Accounting Pronouncements – In July 2015, the Financial Accounting Standards Board ("FASB") issued guidance that requires entities to measure inventory within the scope of the standard at the lower of cost or net realizable value. "Net realizable value" is defined as the estimated selling prices in the ordinary course of business, less reasonably predictable costs of completion, disposal and transportation. The guidance is effective for fiscal years, and interim periods within those years, beginning after December 15, 2016. Early adoption is permitted. The Company does not expect that this guidance will have a material impact on its consolidated financial statements. In April 2015, the FASB issued guidance about whether fees paid by customers in cloud computing arrangements include a software license. If a cloud computing arrangement includes a software license, a customer should account for the software license element in a manner consistent with previously issued guidance for software licenses. If the arrangement does not include a software license, a customer should account for the arrangement as a service contract. The guidance is effective for fiscal years, and interim periods within those years, beginning after December 15, 2015. An entity can adopt the guidance prospectively or retrospectively and early adoption is permitted. The Company does not expect that this guidance will have a material impact on its consolidated financial statements. In April 2015, the FASB issued guidance which requires debt issuance costs to be presented in the balance sheet as a direct deduction from the related debt liability rather than an asset. The recognition and measurement guidance for debt issuance costs are not affected by this guidance. This new guidance is effective retrospectively for fiscal years, and interim periods within those years, beginning after December 15, 2015. Early adoption is permitted. The Company does not expect that this guidance will have a material impact on its consolidated financial statements. In August 2014, the FASB issued guidance which requires management to evaluate whether there is substantial doubt about an entity’s ability to continue as a going concern and to provide disclosure in the footnotes under certain circumstances. This guidance is effective for fiscal years ending after December 15, 2016 with early adoption permitted. The Company does not expect that this guidance will have a material impact on its consolidated financial statements. In May 2014, the FASB issued guidance to provide a single, comprehensive revenue recognition model for all contracts with customers. The new revenue recognition model supersedes existing revenue recognition guidance and requires revenue recognition to depict the transfer of promised goods or services to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration an entity expects to receive in exchange for those goods or services. This guidance is effective for fiscal years and interim periods with those years beginning after December 15, 2017 and early adoption is not permitted. The guidance permits the use of either a full or modified retrospective or cumulative effect transition method. The Company is currently evaluating the impact that the implementation of this standard will have on its consolidated financial statements.

Accounting Policies and Basis of Presentation:

Compass Minerals International, Inc., through its subsidiaries, is a producer and marketer of essential mineral products with manufacturing sites in North America and the United Kingdom (“U.K.”). References to the “Company,” “Compass,” “Compass Minerals,” “CMP,” “we,” “us” and “our” refer to Compass Minerals International, Inc. (“CMI”, the parent holding company) and its consolidated subsidiaries. The Company’s principal products are salt, consisting of sodium chloride and magnesium chloride, and sulfate of potash (“SOP”), a specialty fertilizer the Company markets under the trade name Protassium+™. Additionally, the Company sells various premium micronutrient products under its Wolf Trax® brand. The Company provides highway deicing products to customers in North America and the U.K., and plant nutrients to growers and fertilizer distributors worldwide. The Company also produces and markets consumer deicing and water conditioning products, ingredients used in consumer and commercial food preparation, and other mineral-based products for consumer, agricultural and industrial applications. Compass Minerals also provides records management services to businesses located in the U.K.

CMP is a holding company with no operations other than those of its wholly-owned subsidiaries. The consolidated financial statements include the accounts of CMP and its wholly-owned subsidiaries. All significant intercompany balances and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation.

The accompanying unaudited consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles for interim financial information and with the instructions to Form 10-Q and Article 10 of Regulation S-X. Accordingly, they do not include all of the information and footnotes required by U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”) for complete financial statements. These unaudited consolidated financial statements should be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements of CMP for the year ended December 31, 2014 as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission in its Annual Report on Form 10-K. In the opinion of management, all adjustments, consisting of normal recurring accruals considered necessary for a fair presentation, have been included.

The Company experiences a substantial amount of seasonality in salt segment sales, primarily with respect to its deicing products. As a result, sales and operating income are generally higher in the first and fourth quarters and lower during the second and third quarters of each year. In particular, sales of highway and consumer deicing salt and magnesium chloride products vary based on the severity of the winter conditions in areas where the product is used. Following industry practice in North America and the U.K., the Company seeks to stockpile sufficient quantities of deicing salt throughout the second, third and fourth quarters to meet the estimated requirements for the upcoming winter season. Production of deicing salt can vary based on the severity or mildness of the preceding winter season. Due to the seasonal nature of the deicing product lines, operating results for the interim periods are not necessarily indicative of the results that may be expected for the full year.

Recent Accounting Pronouncements – In July 2015, the Financial Accounting Standards Board ("FASB") issued guidance that requires entities to measure inventory within the scope of the standard at the lower of cost or net realizable value. "Net realizable value" is defined as the estimated selling prices in the ordinary course of business, less reasonably predictable costs of completion, disposal and transportation. The guidance is effective for fiscal years, and interim periods within those years, beginning after December 15, 2016. Early adoption is permitted. The Company does not expect that this guidance will have a material impact on its consolidated financial statements.

In April 2015, the FASB issued guidance about whether fees paid by customers in cloud computing arrangements include a software license. If a cloud computing arrangement includes a software license, a customer should account for the software license element in a manner consistent with previously issued guidance for software licenses. If the arrangement does not include a software license, a customer should account for the arrangement as a service contract. The guidance is effective for fiscal years, and interim periods within those years, beginning after December 15, 2015. An entity can adopt the guidance prospectively or retrospectively and early adoption is permitted. The Company does not expect that this guidance will have a material impact on its consolidated financial statements.

In April 2015, the FASB issued guidance which requires debt issuance costs to be presented in the balance sheet as a direct deduction from the related debt liability rather than an asset. The recognition and measurement guidance for debt issuance costs are not affected by this guidance. This new guidance is effective retrospectively for fiscal years, and interim periods within those years, beginning after December 15, 2015. Early adoption is permitted. The Company does not expect that this guidance will have a material impact on its consolidated financial statements.

In August 2014, the FASB issued guidance which requires management to evaluate whether there is substantial doubt about an entity’s ability to continue as a going concern and to provide disclosure in the footnotes under certain circumstances. This guidance is effective for fiscal years ending after December 15, 2016 with early adoption permitted. The Company does not expect that this guidance will have a material impact on its consolidated financial statements.

In May 2014, the FASB issued guidance to provide a single, comprehensive revenue recognition model for all contracts with customers. The new revenue recognition model supersedes existing revenue recognition guidance and requires revenue recognition to depict the transfer of promised goods or services to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration an entity expects to receive in exchange for those goods or services. This guidance is effective for fiscal years and interim periods with those years beginning after December 15, 2017 and early adoption is not permitted. The guidance permits the use of either a full or modified retrospective or cumulative effect transition method. The Company is currently evaluating the impact that the implementation of this standard will have on its consolidated financial statements.