GUARANTOR AND NON-GUARANTOR SUBSIDIARIES FINANCIAL INFORMATION (Condensed Consolidating Statements of (Loss) Income) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2015	Jun. 30, 2014	Jun. 30, 2015	Jun. 30, 2014
Revenues:
Service revenues	$ 801,347	$ 665,275	$ 1,397,677	$ 1,325,370
Product revenues	134,881	193,205	271,050	379,777
Total revenues	936,228	858,480	1,668,727	1,705,147
Cost of revenues (exclusive of items shown separately below)
Service cost of revenues	544,870	445,757	961,260	912,556
Product cost of revenues	107,818	161,193	237,935	320,113
Total cost of revenues	652,688	606,950	1,199,195	1,232,669
Selling, general and administrative expenses	120,418	115,731	228,133	234,693
Accretion of environmental liabilities	2,599	2,609	5,218	5,333
Depreciation and amortization	67,773	66,075	136,129	135,431
Goodwill impairment charge	31,992	0	31,992	0
Income from operations	60,758	67,115	68,060	97,021
Other (expense) income	(660)	(655)	(251)	3,523
Interest expense, net of interest income	(19,249)	(19,382)	(38,687)	(38,936)
Equity in earnings of subsidiaries, net of taxes	0	0	0	0
Net Dividend Income from Affiliates Subsidiaries and Holding Company		0		0
Intercompany interest income (expense)	0	0	0	0
Income before provision for income taxes	40,849	47,078	29,122	61,608
(Benefit) provision for income taxes	30,454	18,406	25,816	23,976
Net income	10,395	28,672	3,306	37,632
OtherComprehensiveIncomeLossNetOfTax	12,231	36,056	(65,172)	(5,469)
Comprehensive income (loss)	22,626	64,728	(61,866)	32,163
Clean Harbors, Inc.
Revenues:
Service revenues	0	0	0	0
Product revenues	0	0	0	0
Total revenues	0	0	0	0
Cost of revenues (exclusive of items shown separately below)
Service cost of revenues	0	0	0	0
Product cost of revenues	0	0	0	0
Total cost of revenues	0	0	0	0
Selling, general and administrative expenses	25	26	50	57
Accretion of environmental liabilities	0	0	0	0
Depreciation and amortization	0	0	0	0
Goodwill impairment charge	0		0
Income from operations	(25)	(26)	(50)	(57)
Other (expense) income	0	0	0	0
Interest expense, net of interest income	(19,652)	(19,612)	(39,291)	(39,346)
Equity in earnings of subsidiaries, net of taxes	22,201	40,455	26,910	61,274
Net Dividend Income from Affiliates Subsidiaries and Holding Company		0		0
Intercompany interest income (expense)	0	0	0	0
Income before provision for income taxes	2,524	20,817	(12,431)	21,871
(Benefit) provision for income taxes	(7,871)	(7,855)	(15,737)	(15,761)
Net income	10,395	28,672	3,306	37,632
OtherComprehensiveIncomeLossNetOfTax	12,231	36,056	(65,172)	(5,469)
Comprehensive income (loss)	22,626	64,728	(61,866)	32,163
U.S. Guarantor Subsidiaries
Revenues:
Service revenues	628,408	478,977	1,046,925	924,880
Product revenues	115,335	152,214	231,871	287,417
Total revenues	743,743	631,191	1,278,796	1,212,297
Cost of revenues (exclusive of items shown separately below)
Service cost of revenues	415,111	320,143	692,713	626,433
Product cost of revenues	98,258	119,106	213,544	234,363
Total cost of revenues	513,369	439,249	906,257	860,796
Selling, general and administrative expenses	93,677	82,603	174,661	170,178
Accretion of environmental liabilities	2,287	2,255	4,593	4,636
Depreciation and amortization	44,602	41,383	90,403	84,191
Goodwill impairment charge	4,164		4,164
Income from operations	85,644	65,701	98,718	92,496
Other (expense) income	168	(458)	279	124
Interest expense, net of interest income	324	218	502	452
Equity in earnings of subsidiaries, net of taxes	(29,550)	(5,645)	(36,579)	(6,164)
Net Dividend Income from Affiliates Subsidiaries and Holding Company		0		0
Intercompany interest income (expense)	6,036	9,163	12,013	18,220
Income before provision for income taxes	62,622	68,979	74,933	105,128
(Benefit) provision for income taxes	40,421	28,524	48,023	43,854
Net income	22,201	40,455	26,910	61,274
OtherComprehensiveIncomeLossNetOfTax	12,231	36,056	(65,172)	(5,469)
Comprehensive income (loss)	34,432	76,511	(38,262)	55,805
Foreign Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries
Revenues:
Service revenues	190,657	193,729	384,110	411,900
Product revenues	22,444	43,136	45,648	95,630
Total revenues	213,101	236,865	429,758	507,530
Cost of revenues (exclusive of items shown separately below)
Service cost of revenues	147,477	133,045	301,905	297,533
Product cost of revenues	12,458	44,232	30,860	89,020
Total cost of revenues	159,935	177,277	332,765	386,553
Selling, general and administrative expenses	26,716	33,102	53,422	64,458
Accretion of environmental liabilities	312	354	625	697
Depreciation and amortization	23,171	24,692	45,726	51,240
Goodwill impairment charge	27,828		27,828
Income from operations	(24,861)	1,440	(30,608)	4,582
Other (expense) income	(828)	(197)	(530)	3,399
Interest expense, net of interest income	79	12	102	(42)
Equity in earnings of subsidiaries, net of taxes	0	0	0	0
Net Dividend Income from Affiliates Subsidiaries and Holding Company		3,138		6,238
Intercompany interest income (expense)	(6,036)	(9,163)	(12,013)	(18,220)
Income before provision for income taxes	(31,646)	(4,770)	(43,049)	(4,043)
(Benefit) provision for income taxes	(2,096)	(2,263)	(6,470)	(4,117)
Net income	(29,550)	(2,507)	(36,579)	74
OtherComprehensiveIncomeLossNetOfTax	8,061	(42,927)	(42,574)	(23,245)
Comprehensive income (loss)	(21,489)	(45,434)	(79,153)	(23,171)
Consolidating Adjustments
Revenues:
Service revenues	(17,718)	(7,431)	(33,358)	(11,410)
Product revenues	(2,898)	(2,145)	(6,469)	(3,270)
Total revenues	(20,616)	(9,576)	(39,827)	(14,680)
Cost of revenues (exclusive of items shown separately below)
Service cost of revenues	(17,718)	(7,431)	(33,358)	(11,410)
Product cost of revenues	(2,898)	(2,145)	(6,469)	(3,270)
Total cost of revenues	(20,616)	(9,576)	(39,827)	(14,680)
Selling, general and administrative expenses	0	0	0	0
Accretion of environmental liabilities	0	0	0	0
Depreciation and amortization	0	0	0	0
Goodwill impairment charge	0		0
Income from operations	0	0	0	0
Other (expense) income	0	0	0	0
Interest expense, net of interest income	0	0	0	0
Equity in earnings of subsidiaries, net of taxes	7,349	(34,810)	9,669	(55,110)
Net Dividend Income from Affiliates Subsidiaries and Holding Company		(3,138)		(6,238)
Intercompany interest income (expense)	0	0	0	0
Income before provision for income taxes	7,349	(37,948)	9,669	(61,348)
(Benefit) provision for income taxes	0	0		0
Net income	7,349	(37,948)	9,669	(61,348)
OtherComprehensiveIncomeLossNetOfTax	(20,292)	6,871	107,746	28,714
Comprehensive income (loss)	$ (12,943)	$ (31,077)	$ 117,415	$ (32,634)