GUARANTOR AND NON-GUARANTOR SUBSIDIARIES Income Statement (Details) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	3 Months Ended								12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2013	Sep. 30, 2013	Jun. 30, 2013	Mar. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012	Sep. 30, 2012	Jun. 30, 2012	Mar. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011
Consolidating statement of income
Service revenues									$ 2,729,205	$ 2,063,160	$ 1,882,979
Product revenues									780,451	124,748	101,157
Total revenues	879,430	907,535	860,528	862,163	558,962	533,806	523,118	572,022	3,509,656	2,187,908	1,984,136
Service revenues									1,874,448	1,439,594	1,301,363
Product revenues									668,185	101,027	78,628
Total cost of revenues	645,164	647,119	614,326	636,024	399,743	372,940	367,623	400,315	2,542,633	1,540,621	1,379,991
Selling, general and administrative expenses									470,477	273,520	254,137
Accretion of environmental liabilities									11,541	9,917	9,680
Depreciation and amortization									264,449	161,646	122,663
Income from operations	58,877	73,608	53,243	34,828	36,231	56,739	47,533	61,701	220,556	202,204	217,665
Other income (expense)	(325)	(150)	1,655	525	(337)	(91)	(75)	(299)	1,705	(802)	6,402
Loss on early extinguishment of debt									0	(26,385)	0
Interest (expense) income, net									(78,376)	(47,287)	(39,389)
Equity in earnings of subsidiaries									0	0	0
Intercompany dividend income (expense)									0	0	0
Intercompany interest income (expense)									0	0	0
Income before provision (benefit) for income taxes									143,885	127,730	184,678
Provision (benefit) for income taxes									48,319	(1,944)	57,426
Net income	26,801	35,361	22,902	10,502	61,874	12,359	23,426	32,015	95,566	129,674	127,252
Other comprehensive income									(69,188)	18,279	(19,406)
Comprehensive income									26,378	147,953	107,846
Clean Harbors, Inc.
Consolidating statement of income
Service revenues									0	0	0
Product revenues									0	0	0
Total revenues									0	0	0
Service revenues									0	0	0
Product revenues									0	0	0
Total cost of revenues									0	0	0
Selling, general and administrative expenses									109	66	100
Accretion of environmental liabilities									0	0	0
Depreciation and amortization									0	0	0
Income from operations									(109)	(66)	(100)
Other income (expense)									0	0	0
Loss on early extinguishment of debt										(26,385)
Interest (expense) income, net									(79,017)	(46,221)	(38,755)
Equity in earnings of subsidiaries									184,498	187,432	174,029
Intercompany dividend income (expense)									0	10,010	10,186
Intercompany interest income (expense)									0	0	0
Income before provision (benefit) for income taxes									105,372	124,770	145,360
Provision (benefit) for income taxes									9,806	(4,904)	18,108
Net income									95,566	129,674	127,252
Other comprehensive income									(69,188)	18,279	(19,406)
Comprehensive income									26,378	147,953	107,846
U.S. Guarantor Subsidiaries
Consolidating statement of income
Service revenues									1,754,356	1,155,993	1,055,095
Product revenues									611,548	87,460	86,840
Total revenues									2,365,904	1,243,453	1,141,935
Service revenues									1,187,946	787,228	720,189
Product revenues									524,318	70,085	66,582
Total cost of revenues									1,712,264	857,313	786,771
Selling, general and administrative expenses									352,387	173,190	165,882
Accretion of environmental liabilities									9,817	8,592	8,442
Depreciation and amortization									169,629	80,154	58,328
Income from operations									121,807	124,204	122,512
Other income (expense)									3,211	(154)	3,864
Loss on early extinguishment of debt										0
Interest (expense) income, net									224	0	18
Equity in earnings of subsidiaries									79,427	65,452	84,789
Intercompany dividend income (expense)									0	0	0
Intercompany interest income (expense)									40,304	41,636	37,870
Income before provision (benefit) for income taxes									244,973	231,138	249,053
Provision (benefit) for income taxes									23,113	(8,852)	29,341
Net income									221,860	239,990	219,712
Other comprehensive income									(69,188)	18,279	(19,406)
Comprehensive income									152,672	258,269	200,306
Foreign Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries
Consolidating statement of income
Service revenues									989,620	927,240	854,306
Product revenues									173,127	38,500	15,737
Total revenues									1,162,747	965,740	870,043
Service revenues									701,273	672,439	607,596
Product revenues									148,091	32,154	13,466
Total cost of revenues									849,364	704,593	621,062
Selling, general and administrative expenses									117,981	100,264	88,155
Accretion of environmental liabilities									1,724	1,325	1,238
Depreciation and amortization									94,820	81,492	64,335
Income from operations									98,858	78,066	95,253
Other income (expense)									(1,506)	(648)	2,538
Loss on early extinguishment of debt										0
Interest (expense) income, net									417	(1,066)	(652)
Equity in earnings of subsidiaries									0	0	0
Intercompany dividend income (expense)									13,292	13,805	13,832
Intercompany interest income (expense)									(40,304)	(41,636)	(37,870)
Income before provision (benefit) for income taxes									70,757	48,521	73,101
Provision (benefit) for income taxes									15,400	11,812	9,977
Net income									55,357	36,709	63,124
Other comprehensive income									39,519	7,986	(8,381)
Comprehensive income									94,876	44,695	54,743
Consolidating Adjustments
Consolidating statement of income
Service revenues									(14,771)	(20,073)	(26,422)
Product revenues									(4,224)	(1,212)	(1,420)
Total revenues									(18,995)	(21,285)	(27,842)
Service revenues									(14,771)	(20,073)	(26,422)
Product revenues									(4,224)	(1,212)	(1,420)
Total cost of revenues									(18,995)	(21,285)	(27,842)
Selling, general and administrative expenses									0	0	0
Accretion of environmental liabilities									0	0	0
Depreciation and amortization									0	0	0
Income from operations									0	0	0
Other income (expense)									0	0	0
Loss on early extinguishment of debt										0
Interest (expense) income, net									0	0	0
Equity in earnings of subsidiaries									(263,925)	(252,884)	(258,818)
Intercompany dividend income (expense)									(13,292)	(23,815)	(24,018)
Intercompany interest income (expense)									0	0	0
Income before provision (benefit) for income taxes									(277,217)	(276,699)	(282,836)
Provision (benefit) for income taxes									0	0	0
Net income									(277,217)	(276,699)	(282,836)
Other comprehensive income									29,669	(26,265)	27,787
Comprehensive income									$ (247,548)	$ (302,964)	$ (255,049)