GUARANTOR AND NON-GUARANTOR SUBSIDIARIES FINANCIAL INFORMATION (Condensed Consolidating Statements of (Loss) Income) (Details) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015	Mar. 31, 2014
Revenues:
Service revenues	$ 596,330	$ 660,095
Product revenues	136,169	186,572
Total revenues	732,499	846,667
Cost of revenues (exclusive of items shown separately below)
Service cost of revenues	416,390	466,799
Product cost of revenues	130,117	158,920
Total cost of revenues	546,507	625,719
Selling, general and administrative expenses	107,715	118,962
Accretion of environmental liabilities	2,619	2,724
Depreciation and amortization	68,356	69,356
Income from operations	7,302	29,906
Other income	409	4,178
Interest (expense) income	(19,438)	(19,554)
Equity in earnings of subsidiaries, net of taxes	0	0
Intercompany dividend income		0
Intercompany interest income (expense)	0	0
(Loss) income before (benefit) provision for income taxes	(11,727)	14,530
(Benefit) provision for income taxes	(4,638)	5,570
Net (loss) income	(7,089)	8,960
Other comprehensive loss	(77,403)	(41,525)
Comprehensive loss	(84,492)	(32,565)
Clean Harbors, Inc.
Revenues:
Service revenues	0	0
Product revenues	0	0
Total revenues	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
Selling, general and administrative expenses	25	31
Accretion of environmental liabilities	0	0
Depreciation and amortization	0	0
Income from operations	(25)	(31)
Other income	0	0
Interest (expense) income	(19,639)	(19,734)
Equity in earnings of subsidiaries, net of taxes	4,709	20,819
Intercompany dividend income		0
Intercompany interest income (expense)	0	0
(Loss) income before (benefit) provision for income taxes	(14,955)	1,054
(Benefit) provision for income taxes	(7,866)	(7,906)
Net (loss) income	(7,089)	8,960
Other comprehensive loss	(77,403)	(41,525)
Comprehensive loss	(84,492)	(32,565)
U.S. Guarantor Subsidiaries
Revenues:
Service revenues	418,517	445,903
Product revenues	116,536	135,203
Total revenues	535,053	581,106
Cost of revenues (exclusive of items shown separately below)
Service cost of revenues	277,602	306,290
Product cost of revenues	115,286	115,257
Total cost of revenues	392,888	421,547
Selling, general and administrative expenses	80,984	87,575
Accretion of environmental liabilities	2,306	2,381
Depreciation and amortization	45,801	42,808
Income from operations	13,074	26,795
Other income	111	582
Interest (expense) income	178	234
Equity in earnings of subsidiaries, net of taxes	(7,029)	(519)
Intercompany dividend income		0
Intercompany interest income (expense)	5,977	9,057
(Loss) income before (benefit) provision for income taxes	12,311	36,149
(Benefit) provision for income taxes	7,602	15,330
Net (loss) income	4,709	20,819
Other comprehensive loss	(77,403)	(41,525)
Comprehensive loss	(72,694)	(20,706)
Foreign Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries
Revenues:
Service revenues	193,453	218,171
Product revenues	23,204	52,494
Total revenues	216,657	270,665
Cost of revenues (exclusive of items shown separately below)
Service cost of revenues	154,428	164,488
Product cost of revenues	18,402	44,788
Total cost of revenues	172,830	209,276
Selling, general and administrative expenses	26,706	31,356
Accretion of environmental liabilities	313	343
Depreciation and amortization	22,555	26,548
Income from operations	(5,747)	3,142
Other income	298	3,596
Interest (expense) income	23	(54)
Equity in earnings of subsidiaries, net of taxes	0	0
Intercompany dividend income		3,100
Intercompany interest income (expense)	(5,977)	(9,057)
(Loss) income before (benefit) provision for income taxes	(11,403)	727
(Benefit) provision for income taxes	(4,374)	(1,854)
Net (loss) income	(7,029)	2,581
Other comprehensive loss	(50,635)	19,682
Comprehensive loss	(57,664)	22,263
Consolidating Adjustments
Revenues:
Service revenues	(15,640)	(3,979)
Product revenues	(3,571)	(1,125)
Total revenues	(19,211)	(5,104)
Cost of revenues (exclusive of items shown separately below)
Service cost of revenues	(15,640)	(3,979)
Product cost of revenues	(3,571)	(1,125)
Total cost of revenues	(19,211)	(5,104)
Selling, general and administrative expenses	0	0
Accretion of environmental liabilities	0	0
Depreciation and amortization	0	0
Income from operations	0	0
Other income	0	0
Interest (expense) income	0	0
Equity in earnings of subsidiaries, net of taxes	2,320	(20,300)
Intercompany dividend income		(3,100)
Intercompany interest income (expense)	0	0
(Loss) income before (benefit) provision for income taxes	2,320	(23,400)
(Benefit) provision for income taxes	0	0
Net (loss) income	2,320	(23,400)
Other comprehensive loss	128,038	21,843
Comprehensive loss	$ 130,358	$ (1,557)