Segment Reporting (Reconciliation of Primary Measure of Segment Profitability to Income Before Income Tax Provision) (Detail) - USD ($) $ in Thousands		3 Months Ended
		Mar. 31, 2020	Mar. 31, 2019
Segment EBITDA	[1]	$ 400,928	$ 378,361
Depreciation		(150,821)	(146,847)
Amortization of intangibles		(31,638)	(30,542)
Impairments and other operating items		(1,506)	(16,112)
Interest expense		(37,990)	(37,287)
Interest income		2,175	3,311
Other income (expense), net		(9,521)	2,661
Income before income tax provision		171,627	153,545
Eastern [Member]
Segment EBITDA	[1]	84,662	76,957
Southern [Member]
Segment EBITDA	[1]	74,517	74,377
Western [Member]
Segment EBITDA	[1]	81,029	77,005
Central [Member]
Segment EBITDA	[1]	73,151	63,027
Canada [Member]
Segment EBITDA	[1]	59,398	59,244
Exploration and Production [Member]
Segment EBITDA	[1]	31,802	31,609
Corporate [Member]
Segment EBITDA	[1],[2]	(3,631)	(3,858)
Operating Segments [Member]
Segment EBITDA		$ 404,559	$ 382,219

[1] For those items included in the determination of segment EBITDA, the accounting policies of the segments are the same as those described in the Company’s most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K.

[2] Corporate functions include accounting, legal, tax, treasury, information technology, risk management, human resources, training, direct acquisition expenses, other administrative functions and share-based compensation expenses associated with Progressive Waste share-based grants outstanding at June 1, 2016 that were continued by the Company. Amounts reflected are net of allocations to the six operating segments.