GUARANTOR AND NON-GUARANTOR SUBSIDIARIES (Income Statement) (Details) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	3 Months Ended																12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2014		Sep. 30, 2014		Jun. 30, 2014		Mar. 31, 2014		Dec. 31, 2013		Sep. 30, 2013		Jun. 30, 2013		Mar. 31, 2013		Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012
Consolidating statement of income
Service revenues																	$ 2,639,796	$ 2,729,205	$ 2,063,160
Product revenues																	761,840	780,451	124,748
Total revenues	845,024		851,465		858,480		846,667		879,430		907,535		860,528		862,163		3,401,636	3,509,656	2,187,908
Service revenues																	1,790,377	1,874,448	1,439,594
Product revenues																	651,419	668,185	101,027
Total cost of revenues	610,720	[1]	598,407	[1]	606,950	[1]	625,719	[1]	645,164	[1]	647,119	[1]	614,326	[1]	636,024	[1]	2,441,796	2,542,633	1,540,621
Selling, general and administrative expenses																	437,921	470,477	273,520
Accretion of environmental liabilities																	10,612	11,541	9,917
Depreciation and amortization																	276,083	264,449	161,646
Goodwill impairment charge																	123,414	0	0
Income from operations	57,537		(42,748)		67,115		29,906		58,877		73,608		53,243		34,828		111,810	220,556	202,204
Other income (expense)	244		613		(655)		4,178		(325)		(150)		1,655		525		4,380	1,705	(802)
Loss on early extinguishment of debt																	0	0	(26,385)
Interest (expense) income, net																	(77,668)	(78,376)	(47,287)
Equity in earnings of subsidiaries, net of tax																	0	0	0
Intercompany dividend income																	0	0	0
Intercompany interest income (expense)																	0	0	0
Income before provision (benefit) for income taxes																	38,522	143,885	127,730
Provision (benefit) for income taxes																	66,850	48,319	(1,944)
Net (loss) income	27,377		(93,337)		28,672		8,960		26,801		35,361		22,902		10,502		(28,328)	95,566	129,674
Other comprehensive (loss) income																	(91,286)	(69,188)	18,279
Comprehensive (loss) income																	(119,614)	26,378	147,953
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																	114	109	66
Accretion of environmental liabilities																	0	0	0
Depreciation and amortization																	0	0	0
Goodwill impairment charge																	0
Income from operations																	(114)	(109)	(66)
Other income (expense)																	0	0	0
Loss on early extinguishment of debt																			(26,260)
Interest (expense) income, net																	(78,570)	(79,017)	(46,346)
Equity in earnings of subsidiaries, net of tax																	18,882	143,042	173,277
Intercompany dividend income																	0	0	0
Intercompany interest income (expense)																	0	0	0
Income before provision (benefit) for income taxes																	(59,802)	63,916	100,605
Provision (benefit) for income taxes																	(31,474)	(31,650)	(29,069)
Net (loss) income																	(28,328)	95,566	129,674
Other comprehensive (loss) income																	(91,286)	(69,188)	18,279
Comprehensive (loss) income																	(119,614)	26,378	147,953
U.S. Guarantor Subsidiaries
Consolidating statement of income
Service revenues																	1,786,695	1,757,663	1,155,993
Product revenues																	619,802	611,548	87,460
Total revenues																	2,406,497	2,369,211	1,243,453
Service revenues																	1,172,181	1,190,419	790,018
Product revenues																	538,671	524,318	70,085
Total cost of revenues																	1,710,852	1,714,737	860,103
Selling, general and administrative expenses																	321,069	353,215	173,190
Accretion of environmental liabilities																	9,240	9,935	8,592
Depreciation and amortization																	173,447	170,041	80,154
Goodwill impairment charge																	105,466
Income from operations																	86,423	121,283	121,414
Other income (expense)																	3,369	1,655	(157)
Loss on early extinguishment of debt																			0
Interest (expense) income, net																	800	236	179
Equity in earnings of subsidiaries, net of tax																	(9,031)	42,741	25,702
Intercompany dividend income																	0	0	0
Intercompany interest income (expense)																	28,596	41,695	41,457
Income before provision (benefit) for income taxes																	110,157	207,610	188,595
Provision (benefit) for income taxes																	91,275	64,568	15,318
Net (loss) income																	18,882	143,042	173,277
Other comprehensive (loss) income																	(91,286)	(69,188)	18,279
Comprehensive (loss) income																	(72,404)	73,854	191,556
Foreign Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries
Consolidating statement of income
Service revenues																	876,085	984,122	916,148
Product revenues																	148,671	172,500	37,831
Total revenues																	1,024,756	1,156,622	953,979
Service revenues																	641,180	696,609	658,557
Product revenues																	119,381	147,464	31,485
Total cost of revenues																	760,561	844,073	690,042
Selling, general and administrative expenses																	116,738	117,153	100,264
Accretion of environmental liabilities																	1,372	1,606	1,325
Depreciation and amortization																	102,636	94,408	81,492
Goodwill impairment charge																	17,948
Income from operations																	25,501	99,382	80,856
Other income (expense)																	1,011	50	(645)
Loss on early extinguishment of debt																			(125)
Interest (expense) income, net																	102	405	(1,120)
Equity in earnings of subsidiaries, net of tax																	0	0	0
Intercompany dividend income																	6,238	13,292	13,696
Intercompany interest income (expense)																	(28,596)	(41,695)	(41,457)
Income before provision (benefit) for income taxes																	4,256	71,434	51,205
Provision (benefit) for income taxes																	7,049	15,401	11,807
Net (loss) income																	(2,793)	56,033	39,398
Other comprehensive (loss) income																	(37,157)	39,519	7,986
Comprehensive (loss) income																	(39,950)	95,552	47,384
Consolidating Adjustments
Consolidating statement of income
Service revenues																	(22,984)	(12,580)	(8,981)
Product revenues																	(6,633)	(3,597)	(543)
Total revenues																	(29,617)	(16,177)	(9,524)
Service revenues																	(22,984)	(12,580)	(8,981)
Product revenues																	(6,633)	(3,597)	(543)
Total cost of revenues																	(29,617)	(16,177)	(9,524)
Selling, general and administrative expenses																	0	0	0
Accretion of environmental liabilities																	0	0	0
Depreciation and amortization																	0	0	0
Goodwill impairment charge																	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, net of tax																	(9,851)	(185,783)	(198,979)
Intercompany dividend income																	(6,238)	(13,292)	(13,696)
Intercompany interest income (expense)																	0	0	0
Income before provision (benefit) for income taxes																	(16,089)	(199,075)	(212,675)
Provision (benefit) for income taxes																	0	0	0
Net (loss) income																	(16,089)	(199,075)	(212,675)
Other comprehensive (loss) income																	128,443	29,669	(26,265)
Comprehensive (loss) income																	$ 112,354	$ (169,406)	$ (238,940)

[1] (1)Items shown separately on the statements of income consist of (i) accretion of environmental liabilities and (ii) depreciation and amortization.