CONTINGENCIES AND COMMITMENTS (Details Textuals) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	12 Months Ended				1 Months Ended		1 Months Ended		12 Months Ended
	Jul. 31, 2014 site	Jul. 31, 2013	Jul. 31, 2012	Jul. 31, 2014 Surety Bond [Member]	Jul. 31, 2012 Ann Arbor Michigan Site [Member] Gelman Sciences Inc [Member]	Jul. 31, 2014 Ann Arbor Michigan Site [Member] Gelman Sciences Inc [Member]	Jul. 31, 2011 Wager Road Facility [Member] Gelman Sciences Inc [Member] Minimum [Member] acre	Jul. 31, 2011 Wager Road Facility [Member] Gelman Sciences Inc [Member] Maximum [Member] acre	Jul. 31, 2014 Pinellas Park Site [Member]	Jul. 31, 2014 Glen Cove, New York [Member] operable_unit
Commitments and Contingencies [Line Items]
Number of sites with environmental matters	3
Environmental liabilities	$ 19,452					$ 9,029
Site contingency settlements					500
Number of acres diminished							144	154
Number of operable units										2
Environmental remediation expense									4,440	2,000
Settlement amount										(3,250)
Surety outstanding bonds relating primarily to long-term contracts with governmental agencies				159,970
Rent expenses for all operating leases	34,705	34,694	35,319
Minimum rental commitments for all non-cancelable operating leases due in 2015	29,767
Minimum rental commitments for all non-cancelable operating leases due in 2016	22,621
Minimum rental commitments for all non-cancelable operating leases due in 2017	16,380
Minimum rental commitments for all non-cancelable operating leases due in 2018	10,872
Minimum rental commitments for all non-cancelable operating leases due in 2019	8,243
Minimum rental commitments for all non-cancelable operating leases due thereafter	15,185
Non-cancelable future purchase commitments for goods or services with various vendors due in 2015	42,303
Non-cancelable future purchase commitments for goods or services with various vendors due in 2016	7,370
Non-cancelable future purchase commitments for goods or services with various vendors due in 2017	5,234
Non-cancelable future purchase commitments for goods or services with various vendors due in 2018	5,175
Non-cancelable future purchase commitments for goods or services with various vendors due in 2019	$ 1,247