GUARANTOR AND NON-GUARANTOR SUBSIDIARIES FINANCIAL INFORMATION (Condensed Consolidating Statements of (Loss) Income) (Details) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2014	Jun. 30, 2013	Jun. 30, 2014	Jun. 30, 2013
Revenues:
Service revenues	$ 665,275	$ 673,872	$ 1,325,370	$ 1,346,494
Product revenues	193,205	186,656	379,777	376,197
Total revenues	858,480	860,528	1,705,147	1,722,691
Cost of revenues (exclusive of items shown separately below)
Service cost of revenues	445,757	455,603	912,556	923,975
Product cost of revenues	161,193	158,723	320,113	326,375
Total cost of revenues	606,950	614,326	1,232,669	1,250,350
Selling, general and administrative expenses	115,731	122,612	234,693	251,082
Accretion of environmental liabilities	2,609	2,879	5,333	5,714
Depreciation and amortization	66,075	67,468	135,431	127,474
Income from operations	67,115	53,243	97,021	88,071
Other (expense) income	(655)	1,655	3,523	2,180
Interest (expense) income	(19,382)	(19,585)	(38,936)	(39,458)
Equity in earnings of subsidiaries	0	0	0	0
Intercompany dividend income	0	0	0	0
Intercompany interest income (expense)	0	0	0	0
Income before provision for income taxes	47,078	35,313	61,608	50,793
Provision (benefit) for income taxes	18,406	12,411	23,976	17,389
Net income (loss)	28,672	22,902	37,632	33,404
Other comprehensive income (loss)	36,056	(35,506)	(5,469)	(59,367)
Comprehensive income (loss)	64,728	(12,604)	32,163	(25,963)
Clean Harbors, Inc.
Revenues:
Service revenues		0		0
Product revenues		0		0
Total revenues	0	0	0	0
Cost of revenues (exclusive of items shown separately below)
Service cost of revenues		0		0
Product cost of revenues		0		0
Total cost of revenues	0	0	0	0
Selling, general and administrative expenses	25	30	56	55
Accretion of environmental liabilities	0	0		0
Depreciation and amortization	0	0		0
Income from operations	(25)	(30)	(56)	(55)
Other (expense) income	0	0		0
Interest (expense) income	(19,612)	(19,764)	(39,346)	(39,564)
Equity in earnings of subsidiaries	54,436	45,106	84,545	75,327
Intercompany dividend income	0	0	0	0
Intercompany interest income (expense)		0		0
Income before provision for income taxes	34,799	25,312	45,143	35,708
Provision (benefit) for income taxes	6,127	2,410	7,511	2,304
Net income (loss)	28,672	22,902	37,632	33,404
Other comprehensive income (loss)	36,056	(35,506)	(5,469)	(59,367)
Comprehensive income (loss)	64,728	(12,604)	32,163	(25,963)
U.S. Guarantor Subsidiaries
Revenues:
Service revenues	476,268	497,731	920,142	896,966
Product revenues	151,667	89,740	286,542	250,603
Total revenues	627,935	587,471	1,206,684	1,147,569
Cost of revenues (exclusive of items shown separately below)
Service cost of revenues	317,861	341,768	622,502	615,940
Product cost of revenues	118,560	73,712	233,488	217,353
Total cost of revenues	436,421	415,480	855,990	833,293
Selling, general and administrative expenses	82,513	89,884	170,066	185,445
Accretion of environmental liabilities	2,219	2,437	4,567	4,837
Depreciation and amortization	41,289	44,220	84,021	81,509
Income from operations	65,493	35,450	92,040	42,485
Other (expense) income	(123)	2,249	786	2,969
Interest (expense) income	216	0	446	0
Equity in earnings of subsidiaries	3,393	14,563	11,855	35,976
Intercompany dividend income		0		0
Intercompany interest income (expense)	9,497	9,969	18,881	20,307
Income before provision for income taxes	78,476	62,231	124,008	101,737
Provision (benefit) for income taxes	13,586	7,009	17,691	6,535
Net income (loss)	64,890	55,222	106,317	95,202
Other comprehensive income (loss)	36,056	(35,506)	(5,469)	(59,367)
Comprehensive income (loss)	100,946	19,716	100,848	35,835
Foreign Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries
Revenues:
Service revenues	194,579	171,019	413,584	452,438
Product revenues	43,136	95,465	95,629	126,407
Total revenues	237,715	266,484	509,213	578,845
Cost of revenues (exclusive of items shown separately below)
Service cost of revenues	133,468	108,713	298,410	310,945
Product cost of revenues	44,231	83,560	89,019	109,835
Total cost of revenues	177,699	192,273	387,429	420,780
Selling, general and administrative expenses	33,193	32,698	64,571	65,582
Accretion of environmental liabilities	390	442	766	877
Depreciation and amortization	24,786	23,248	51,410	45,965
Income from operations	1,647	17,823	5,037	45,641
Other (expense) income	(532)	(594)	2,737	(789)
Interest (expense) income	14	179	(36)	106
Equity in earnings of subsidiaries	0	0		0
Intercompany dividend income	3,138	3,323	6,238	6,968
Intercompany interest income (expense)	(9,497)	(9,969)	(18,881)	(20,307)
Income before provision for income taxes	(5,230)	10,762	(4,905)	31,619
Provision (benefit) for income taxes	(1,307)	2,992	(1,226)	8,550
Net income (loss)	(3,923)	7,770	(3,679)	23,069
Other comprehensive income (loss)	(42,927)	18,685	(23,245)	30,457
Comprehensive income (loss)	(46,850)	26,455	(26,924)	53,526
Consolidating Adjustments
Revenues:
Service revenues	(5,572)	5,122	(8,356)	(2,910)
Product revenues	(1,598)	1,451	(2,394)	(813)
Total revenues	(7,170)	6,573	(10,750)	(3,723)
Cost of revenues (exclusive of items shown separately below)
Service cost of revenues	(5,572)	5,122	(8,356)	(2,910)
Product cost of revenues	(1,598)	1,451	(2,394)	(813)
Total cost of revenues	(7,170)	6,573	(10,750)	(3,723)
Selling, general and administrative expenses	0	0	0	0
Accretion of environmental liabilities	0	0		0
Depreciation and amortization	0	0	0	0
Income from operations	0	0	0	0
Other (expense) income	0	0		0
Interest (expense) income	0	0		0
Equity in earnings of subsidiaries	(57,829)	(59,669)	(96,400)	(111,303)
Intercompany dividend income	(3,138)	(3,323)	(6,238)	(6,968)
Intercompany interest income (expense)		0		0
Income before provision for income taxes	(60,967)	(62,992)	(102,638)	(118,271)
Provision (benefit) for income taxes		0		0
Net income (loss)	(60,967)	(62,992)	(102,638)	(118,271)
Other comprehensive income (loss)	6,871	16,821	28,714	28,910
Comprehensive income (loss)	$ (54,096)	$ (46,171)	$ (73,924)	$ (89,361)