GUARANTOR AND NON-GUARANTOR SUBSIDIARIES FINANCIAL INFORMATION (Consolidating Statement of Operations) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2017	Mar. 31, 2016
Revenues:
Service revenues	$ 560,214	$ 530,231
Product revenues	128,727	105,852
Total revenues	688,941	636,083
Cost of revenues (exclusive of items shown separately below)
Service cost of revenues	391,087	373,986
Product cost of revenues	105,498	90,293
Total cost of revenues	496,585	464,279
Selling, general and administrative expenses	112,221	104,484
Accretion of environmental liabilities	2,290	2,505
Depreciation and amortization	72,412	68,902
(Loss) income from operations	5,433	(4,087)
Other expense	(1,549)	(350)
Interest (expense) income	(22,576)	(18,980)
Equity in earnings of subsidiaries, net of taxes	0	0
Intercompany interest income (expense)	0	0
(Loss) income before (benefit) provision for income taxes	(18,692)	(23,417)
(Benefit) provision for income taxes	2,701	(2,546)
Net loss	(21,393)	(20,871)
Other comprehensive income	6,051	45,837
Comprehensive (loss) income	(15,342)	24,966
Reportable Legal Entities | 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	24	24
Accretion of environmental liabilities	0	0
Depreciation and amortization	0	0
(Loss) income from operations	(24)	(24)
Other expense	(146)	0
Interest (expense) income	(22,659)	(20,143)
Equity in earnings of subsidiaries, net of taxes	(7,637)	(8,771)
Intercompany interest income (expense)	0	0
(Loss) income before (benefit) provision for income taxes	(30,466)	(28,938)
(Benefit) provision for income taxes	(9,073)	(8,067)
Net loss	(21,393)	(20,871)
Other comprehensive income	6,051	45,837
Comprehensive (loss) income	(15,342)	24,966
Reportable Legal Entities | Guarantor Subsidiaries
Revenues:
Service revenues	443,305	428,477
Product revenues	116,650	89,588
Total revenues	559,955	518,065
Cost of revenues (exclusive of items shown separately below)
Service cost of revenues	294,145	282,964
Product cost of revenues	96,505	79,354
Total cost of revenues	390,650	362,318
Selling, general and administrative expenses	92,171	80,655
Accretion of environmental liabilities	2,055	2,290
Depreciation and amortization	51,900	48,695
(Loss) income from operations	23,179	24,107
Other expense	(1,389)	(88)
Interest (expense) income	119	1,111
Equity in earnings of subsidiaries, net of taxes	(21,824)	(26,495)
Intercompany interest income (expense)	1,297	5,159
(Loss) income before (benefit) provision for income taxes	1,382	3,794
(Benefit) provision for income taxes	9,637	12,565
Net loss	(8,255)	(8,771)
Other comprehensive income	6,051	45,837
Comprehensive (loss) income	(2,204)	37,066
Reportable Legal Entities | Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries
Revenues:
Service revenues	131,071	114,023
Product revenues	15,331	18,713
Total revenues	146,402	132,736
Cost of revenues (exclusive of items shown separately below)
Service cost of revenues	111,104	103,291
Product cost of revenues	12,247	13,388
Total cost of revenues	123,351	116,679
Selling, general and administrative expenses	20,026	23,805
Accretion of environmental liabilities	235	215
Depreciation and amortization	20,512	20,207
(Loss) income from operations	(17,722)	(28,170)
Other expense	(14)	(262)
Interest (expense) income	(36)	52
Equity in earnings of subsidiaries, net of taxes	0	0
Intercompany interest income (expense)	(1,297)	(5,159)
(Loss) income before (benefit) provision for income taxes	(19,069)	(33,539)
(Benefit) provision for income taxes	2,137	(7,044)
Net loss	(21,206)	(26,495)
Other comprehensive income	5,032	28,927
Comprehensive (loss) income	(16,174)	2,432
Consolidating Adjustments
Revenues:
Service revenues	(14,162)	(12,269)
Product revenues	(3,254)	(2,449)
Total revenues	(17,416)	(14,718)
Cost of revenues (exclusive of items shown separately below)
Service cost of revenues	(14,162)	(12,269)
Product cost of revenues	(3,254)	(2,449)
Total cost of revenues	(17,416)	(14,718)
Selling, general and administrative expenses	0	0
Accretion of environmental liabilities	0	0
Depreciation and amortization	0	0
(Loss) income from operations	0	0
Other expense	0	0
Interest (expense) income	0	0
Equity in earnings of subsidiaries, net of taxes	29,461	35,266
Intercompany interest income (expense)	0	0
(Loss) income before (benefit) provision for income taxes	29,461	35,266
(Benefit) provision for income taxes	0	0
Net loss	29,461	35,266
Other comprehensive income	(11,083)	(74,764)
Comprehensive (loss) income	$ 18,378	$ (39,498)