CLH 10-Q Quarterly Report March 31, 2012 | Alphaminr

CLH 10-Q Quarter ended March 31, 2012

CLEAN HARBORS INC
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10-Q 1 clh-3312012xq1.htm 10-Q CLH-3.31.2012-Q1
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549
_______________________
FORM 10-Q
x
QUARTERLY REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
FOR THE QUARTERLY PERIOD ENDED MARCH 31, 2012
OR
o
TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

FOR THE TRANSITION PERIOD FROM         TO

Commission File Number 001-34223
_______________________
CLEAN HARBORS, INC.
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
Massachusetts
04-2997780
(State of Incorporation)
(IRS Employer Identification No.)
42 Longwater Drive, Norwell, MA
02061-9149
(Address of Principal Executive Offices)
(Zip Code)
(781) 792-5000
(Registrant’s Telephone Number, Including area code)
_______________________
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding twelve months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports) and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days. Yes x No o

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically and posted on its corporate Web site, if any, every Interactive Data File required to be submitted and posted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit and post such files). Yes x No o

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, or a smaller reporting company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer,” and “smaller reporting company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act. (Check one):
Large accelerated filer x
Accelerated filer o
Non-accelerated filer o
Smaller reporting company o
(Do not check if a smaller reporting company)

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined by Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act). Yes o No x

Indicate the number of shares outstanding of each of the issuer’s classes of common stock, as of the latest practicable date.

Common Stock, $.01 par value
53,296,867
(Class)
(Outstanding at May 3, 2012)



CLEAN HARBORS, INC.

QUARTERLY REPORT ON FORM 10-Q

TABLE OF CONTENTS







CLEAN HARBORS, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS

ASSETS

(in thousands)

March 31,
2012
December 31,
2011
(unaudited)
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents
$
241,527

$
260,723

Marketable securities
4,997

111

Accounts receivable, net of allowances aggregating $13,575 and $12,683, respectively
463,431

449,553

Unbilled accounts receivable
29,904

29,385

Deferred costs
5,787

5,903

Prepaid expenses and other current assets
62,118

73,349

Supplies inventories
57,695

56,242

Deferred tax assets
16,426

16,602

Total current assets
881,885

891,868

Property, plant and equipment:
Land
37,377

37,185

Asset retirement costs (non-landfill)
2,552

2,529

Landfill assets
57,743

58,466

Buildings and improvements
192,514

189,445

Camp equipment
112,482

110,242

Vehicles
248,361

231,980

Equipment
749,395

729,154

Furniture and fixtures
3,832

3,759

Construction in progress
31,827

24,522

1,436,083

1,387,282

Less—accumulated depreciation and amortization
517,399

483,335

Total property, plant and equipment, net
918,684

903,947

Other assets:
Long-term investments
4,245

4,245

Deferred financing costs
12,872

13,607

Goodwill
125,723

122,392

Permits and other intangibles, net of accumulated amortization of $76,989 and $72,544, respectively
138,967

139,644

Other
10,519

10,100

Total other assets
292,326

289,988

Total assets
$
2,092,895

$
2,085,803


The accompanying notes are an integral part of these unaudited consolidated financial statements.

1


CLEAN HARBORS, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS (Continued)

LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY

(in thousands)

March 31,
2012
December 31,
2011
(unaudited)
Current liabilities:
Current portion of capital lease obligations
$
7,365

$
8,310

Accounts payable
172,551

178,084

Deferred revenue
29,157

32,297

Accrued expenses
114,501

147,992

Current portion of closure, post-closure and remedial liabilities
18,653

15,059

Total current liabilities
342,227

381,742

Other liabilities:
Closure and post-closure liabilities, less current portion of $5,538 and $3,885, respectively
28,560

30,996

Remedial liabilities, less current portion of $13,115 and $11,174, respectively
121,885

124,146

Long-term obligations
523,833

524,203

Capital lease obligations, less current portion
5,406

6,375

Unrecognized tax benefits and other long-term liabilities
119,706

117,354

Total other liabilities
799,390

803,074

Stockholders’ equity:
Common stock, $.01 par value:
Authorized 80,000,000; shares issued and outstanding 53,256,146 and 53,182,859
shares, respectively
533

532

Shares held under employee participation plan
(469
)
(469
)
Additional paid-in capital
501,014

497,919

Accumulated other comprehensive income
46,533

31,353

Accumulated earnings
403,667

371,652

Total stockholders’ equity
951,278

900,987

Total liabilities and stockholders’ equity
$
2,092,895

$
2,085,803


The accompanying notes are an integral part of these unaudited consolidated financial statements.

2


CLEAN HARBORS, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

UNAUDITED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF INCOME

(in thousands except per share amounts)

Three Months Ended
March 31,
2012
2011
Revenues
$
572,022

$
434,962

Cost of revenues (exclusive of items shown separately below)
400,315

312,577

Selling, general and administrative expenses
70,759

54,794

Accretion of environmental liabilities
2,416

2,389

Depreciation and amortization
36,831

25,460

Income from operations
61,701

39,742

Other (expense) income
(299
)
2,899

Interest expense, net of interest income of $186 and $244, respectively
(11,272
)
(6,478
)
Income before provision for income taxes
50,130

36,163

Provision for income taxes
18,115

13,433

Net Income
$
32,015

$
22,730

Earnings per share:
Basic
$
0.60

$
0.43

Diluted
$
0.60

$
0.43

Weighted average common shares outstanding
53,227

52,798

Weighted average common shares outstanding plus potentially dilutive common shares
53,488

53,158


The accompanying notes are an integral part of these unaudited consolidated financial statements.

3


CLEAN HARBORS, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

UNAUDITED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF COMPREHENSIVE INCOME

(in thousands)
Three Months Ended
March 31,
2012
2011
Net income
$
32,015

$
22,730

Other comprehensive income:
Change in fair value of available for sale securities (net of taxes of $41 and $141, respectively)
363

754

Foreign currency translation adjustments
14,817

15,727

Total other comprehensive income
15,180

16,481

Comprehensive income
$
47,195

$
39,211


The accompanying notes are an integral part of these unaudited consolidated financial statements.


4


CLEAN HARBORS, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

UNAUDITED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS

(in thousands)
Three Months Ended
March 31,
2012
2011
Cash flows from operating activities:
Net income
$
32,015

$
22,730

Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash from operating activities:
Depreciation and amortization
36,831

25,460

Allowance for doubtful accounts
203

205

Amortization of deferred financing costs and debt discount
367

614

Accretion of environmental liabilities
2,416

2,389

Changes in environmental liability estimates
(646
)
(260
)
Deferred income taxes
(269
)
486

Stock-based compensation
2,141

1,744

Excess tax benefit of stock-based compensation
(713
)
(1,105
)
Income tax benefit related to stock option exercises
713

1,105

Other expense
299

455

Environmental expenditures
(1,722
)
(2,340
)
Changes in assets and liabilities, net of acquisitions
Accounts receivable
(12,955
)
(10,341
)
Other current assets
(1,890
)
2,949

Accounts payable
(4,302
)
(6,876
)
Other current liabilities
(22,935
)
(22,359
)
Net cash from operating activities
29,553

14,856

Cash flows from investing activities:
Additions to property, plant and equipment
(27,661
)
(34,115
)
Proceeds from sales of fixed assets
425

1,013

Acquisitions, net of cash acquired
(8,751
)
(2,152
)
Additions to intangible assets, including costs to obtain or renew permits
(425
)
(322
)
Purchase of available for sale securities
(4,468
)

Proceeds from sales of marketable securities

388

Other
5,120


Net cash used in investing activities
(35,760
)
(35,188
)
Cash flows from financing activities:
Change in uncashed checks
(13,576
)
(5,216
)
Proceeds from exercise of stock options
30

39

Remittance of shares, net

(1,784
)
Proceeds from employee stock purchase plan
1,238

699

Deferred financing costs paid

(5,628
)
Payments on capital leases
(2,166
)
(1,690
)
Distribution of cash earned on employee participation plan
(38
)
(189
)
Excess tax benefit of stock-based compensation
713

1,105

Issuance of senior secured notes, including premium

261,250

Net cash from financing activities
(13,799
)
248,586

Effect of exchange rate change on cash
810

1,299

(Decrease) increase in cash and cash equivalents
(19,196
)
229,553

Cash and cash equivalents, beginning of period
260,723

302,210

Cash and cash equivalents, end of period
$
241,527

$
531,763

Supplemental information:
Cash payments for interest and income taxes:
Interest paid
$
20,811

$
10,789

Income taxes paid
1,050

8,274

Non-cash investing and financing activities:
Property, plant and equipment accrued
$
19,766

$
17,571

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these unaudited consolidated financial statements.



CLEAN HARBORS, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

UNAUDITED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY

(in thousands)

Common Stock
Shares Held
Under
Employee
Participation
Plan
Accumulated
Other
Comprehensive
Income
Number
of
Shares
$ 0.01
Par
Value
Additional
Paid-in
Capital
Accumulated
Earnings
Total
Stockholders’
Equity
Balance at January 1, 2012
53,183

$
532

$
(469
)
$
497,919

$
31,353

$
371,652

$
900,987

Net income





32,015

32,015

Total other comprehensive income




15,180


15,180

Stock-based compensation
49



2,141



2,141

Issuance of restricted shares, net of shares remitted
(15
)


(1,026
)


(1,026
)
Exercise of stock options
8

1


29



30

Net tax benefit on exercise of stock
options



713



713

Employee stock purchase plan
31



1,238



1,238

Balance at March 31, 2012
53,256

$
533

$
(469
)
$
501,014

$
46,533

$
403,667

$
951,278


The accompanying notes are an integral part of these unaudited consolidated financial statements.


6


CLEAN HARBORS, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

NOTES TO UNAUDITED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

(1) BASIS OF PRESENTATION

The accompanying consolidated interim financial statements include the accounts of Clean Harbors, Inc. and its subsidiaries (collectively, “Clean Harbors” or the “Company”) and have been prepared pursuant to the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) and, in the opinion of management, include all adjustments which are of a normal recurring nature, necessary for a fair presentation of the financial position, results of operations, and cash flows for the periods presented. The results for interim periods are not necessarily indicative of results for the entire year or any other interim periods. The financial statements presented herein should be read in connection with the financial statements included in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2011 .

On June 8, 2011, the Company’s Board of Directors authorized a two -for-one stock split of the Company’s common stock in the form of a stock dividend of one share for each outstanding share. The stock dividend was paid on July 26, 2011 to holders of record at the close of business on July 6, 2011. The stock split followed the approval, at the Company’s 2011 annual meeting of stockholders, of a proposal to increase the Company’s authorized shares of common stock from 40 million to 80 million . The stock split did not change the proportionate interest that a stockholder maintained in the Company. All share and per share information, including options, restricted and performance stock awards, stock option exercises, employee stock purchase plan purchases, common stock and additional paid-in capital accounts on the consolidated balance sheets and consolidated statements of income and stockholders’ equity, have been retroactively adjusted to reflect the two-for-one stock split. In addition, awards granted and weighted average fair value of awards granted in Note 12, “Stock-Based Compensation,” have also been retroactively adjusted.

During the quarter ended March 31, 2012 , the Company re-assigned certain departments among its segments to support management reporting changes. Accordingly, the Company re-allocated shared departmental costs among its segments. The Company has recast the prior year segment information to conform to the current year presentation. See Note 14, “Segment Reporting.”

In preparing the accompanying unaudited consolidated financial statements, the Company has reviewed, as determined necessary by the Company’s management, events that have occurred after March 31, 2012 , until the issuance of the financial statements.

(2) RECENT ACCOUNTING PRONOUNCEMENTS

From time to time, new accounting pronouncements are issued by the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) and are adopted by the Company as of the specified effective dates. Unless otherwise discussed below, management believes that the impact of recently issued accounting pronouncements will not have a material impact on the Company’s financial position, results of operations or cash flows, or do not apply to the Company’s operations.

In June 2011, the FASB issued ASU 2011-5 Comprehensive Income (Topic 220) — Presentation of Comprehensive Income . The new guidance revises the manner in which entities present comprehensive income in their financial statements. ASU 2011-5 requires entities to report components of comprehensive income in either (1) a continuous statement of comprehensive income or (2) two separate but consecutive statements. The ASU does not change the items that must be reported in other comprehensive income. This guidance required a change in the presentation of the financial statements and required retrospective application. In December 2011, the FASB deferred certain provisions of the ASU that relate to presentation of reclassification adjustments. The Company adopted this guidance as of January 1,  2012 utilizing two separate but consecutive statements to report the components of other comprehensive income. This standard had no impact on the Company's financial position, results of operations or cash flows.

In September 2011, the FASB issued ASU 2011-08 Goodwill and Other (Topic 350) which amends the guidance on testing goodwill for impairment. Under the revised guidance, entities testing goodwill for impairment have the option of performing a qualitative assessment before calculating the fair value of the reporting unit (i.e., step 1 of the goodwill impairment test). If entities determine, on the basis of qualitative factors, that the fair value of the reporting unit is more likely than not less than the carrying amount, the two-step impairment test would be required. The ASU does not change how goodwill is calculated or assigned to reporting units, nor does it revise the requirement to test goodwill annually for impairment. In addition, the ASU does not amend the requirement to test goodwill for impairment between annual tests if events or circumstances warrant; however, it does revise the examples of events and circumstances that an entity should consider. The Company adopted this standard on January 1, 2012. This

7


standard did not have a material impact on the Company's financial statements.

In May 2011, the FASB issued ASU 2011-04 Fair Value Measurement (Topic 820) . The ASU is the result of joint efforts by the FASB and International Accounting Standards Board (IASB) to develop a single, converged fair value framework. While the ASU is largely consistent with existing fair value measurement principles in U.S. GAAP, it expands existing disclosure requirements for fair value measurements and makes other amendments to eliminate unnecessary wording differences between U.S. GAAP and International Financial Reporting Standards ("IFRS"). The Company adopted this standard on January 1, 2012. The standard did not have a material impact on the Company's financial statements.

(3) BUSINESS COMBINATIONS

Acquisitions during the third quarter of 2011

During the quarter ended September 30, 2011, the Company acquired (i) certain assets of a Canadian public company which is engaged in the business of providing geospatial, line clearing and drilling services in Canada and the United States; (ii) all of the outstanding stock of a privately owned U.S. company which specializes in treating refinery waste streams primarily in the United States; and (iii) all of the outstanding stock of a privately owned Canadian company which manufactures modular buildings. The combined purchase price for the three acquisitions was approximately $142.1 million , including the assumption and payment of debt of $25.2 million , and post-closing adjustments of $4.5 million based upon the assumed target amounts of working capital.

The following table summarizes the recognized amounts of identifiable assets acquired and liabilities assumed (in thousands). The Company has finalized the acquisition accounting of the identified acquired assets and liabilities, except for the completion of the intangible assets, current liabilities and remedial liability valuations. The Company expects to finalize the valuations of these exceptions as soon as practicable but no later than one year after the acquisition date. Final determination of the fair value may result in further adjustments to the value of the intangible assets, current liabilities and remedial liabilities.
At Acquisition Dates (As reported at December 31, 2011)
Measurement Period Adjustments
At Acquisition Dates (As Adjusted)
Current assets (i)
$
41,385

$
106

$
41,491

Property, plant and equipment
62,966

3

62,969

Customer relationships and other intangibles
23,371


23,371

Other assets
1,798

(127
)
1,671

Current liabilities
(22,561
)
444

(22,117
)
Asset retirement obligations and remedial liabilities
(200
)

(200
)
Other liabilities
(2,741
)
322

(2,419
)
Total identifiable net assets
104,018

748

104,766

Goodwill (ii)
37,309

59

37,368

Total
$
141,327

$
807

$
142,134


(i)
The preliminary fair value of the financial assets acquired includes customer receivables with a preliminary aggregate fair value of $21.4 million . Combined gross amounts due were $22.1 million .
(ii)
Goodwill represents the excess of the fair value of the net assets acquired over the purchase price. Goodwill of $13.2 million , $10.2 million and $14.0 million has been assigned to the Oil and Gas Field Services segment, the Technical Services segment, and the Industrial Services segment, respectively, and will not be deductible for tax purposes.
Management has determined the preliminary purchase price allocations based on estimates of the fair values of all tangible and intangible assets acquired and liabilities assumed. Such amounts are subject to adjustment based on the additional information necessary to determine fair values.
The following unaudited pro forma combined summary data presents information as if the third quarter acquisitions had been acquired at the beginning of 2011 and assumes that there were no material, non-recurring pro forma adjustments directly attributable to the acquisitions. The pro forma information does not necessarily reflect the actual results that would have occurred had

8


the Company and those three acquisitions been combined during the periods presented, nor is it necessarily indicative of the future results of operations of the combined companies (in thousands).
For the Three Months Ended
March 31, 2011
Pro forma combined revenues
$
483,639

Pro forma combined net income
$
27,157

Peak

On June 10, 2011, the Company acquired 100% of the outstanding common shares of Peak Energy Services Ltd. (“Peak”) (other than the 3.15% of Peak’s outstanding common shares which the Company already owned) in exchange for approximately CDN $158.7 million in cash (CDN $0.95 for each Peak share) and the assumption and payment of Peak net debt of approximately CDN $37.5 million . The total acquisition price, which includes the previous investment in Peak shares referred to above, was approximately CDN $200.2 million , or U.S. $205.1 million based on an exchange rate of 0.976057 CDN $ to one U.S. $ on June 10, 2011.

The following table summarizes the amounts of identifiable assets acquired and liabilities assumed at June 10, 2011 (in thousands). The Company has finalized the acquisition accounting of the identified acquired assets and liabilities, except for the completion of the intangible assets and current liabilities valuations. The Company expects to finalize the intangible assets and current liabilities valuations as soon as practicable but no later than one year after the acquisition date. Final determination of the fair value may result in further adjustments to the value of the intangible assets and current liabilities.
At June 10, 2011
(As reported at December 31, 2011)
Measurement
Period
Adjustments
At June 10,
2011
(As adjusted)
Current assets (i)
$
46,543

$
(1,321
)
$
45,222

Property, plant and equipment
151,574


151,574

Identifiable intangible assets
13,186

1,545

14,731

Other assets
6,931

709

7,640

Current liabilities
(29,036
)
23

(29,013
)
Asset retirement obligations
(103
)

(103
)
Other liabilities
(8,175
)
(1,902
)
(10,077
)
Total identifiable net assets
180,920

(946
)
179,974

Goodwill (ii)
24,213

946

25,159

Total
$
205,133

$

$
205,133

_______________________
(i)
The fair value of the financial assets acquired includes customer receivables with a preliminary fair value of $33.3 million . The gross amount due was $34.7 million .

(ii)
Goodwill, which is attributable to expected operating and cross-selling synergies, will not be deductible for tax purposes. Goodwill of $9.0 million and $16.2 million has been recorded in the Oil and Gas Field Services and Industrial Services segments, respectively.

9


The following unaudited pro forma combined summary data presents information as if Peak had been acquired at the beginning of 2011 and assumes that there was no material, non-recurring pro forma adjustment directly attributable to the acquisition. The pro forma information does not necessarily reflect the actual results that would have occurred had the Company and Peak been combined during the periods presented, nor is it necessarily indicative of the future results of operations of the combined companies (in thousands).
For the Three Months Ended
March 31, 2011
Pro forma combined revenues
$
500,265

Pro forma combined net income
$
30,872

(4) FAIR VALUE MEASUREMENTS

The Company’s financial instruments consist of cash and cash equivalents, marketable securities, receivables, trade payables, auction rate securities and long-term debt. The estimated fair value of cash equivalents, receivables, trade payables and accrued liabilities approximate their carrying value due to the short maturity of these instruments. The carrying value of the cash equivalents and accrued liabilities is Level 2 in the fa ir value hierarchy.

Marketable Securities and Auction Rate Securities

As of March 31, 2012 , the Company held certain marketable securities and auction rate securities that are required to be measured at fair value on a recurring basis. The fair value of marketable securities is recorded based on quoted market prices. The auction rate securities are classified as available for sale and the fair value of these securities as of March 31, 2012 was estimated utilizing a probability discounted cash flow analysis (“DCF”). Management considered, among other items, the collateralization underlying the security investments, the creditworthiness of the counterparty, the timing of expected future cash flows, and the expectation of the next time these securities are expected to have a successful auction. The auction rate securities were also compared, when possible, to other observable market data with similar characteristics to the securities held by the Company.

The significant unobservable inputs used in the fair value measurement of the Company's auction rate securities are the cumulative probability of earning the maximum rate until maturity, the cumulative probability of principal return prior to maturity, the cumulative probability of default, the liquidity risk premium and the recovery rate in default. Generally interrelationships are such that a change in the assumption used for the cumulative probability of principal return prior to maturity is accompanied by a directionally similar change in the assumptions used for the cumulative probability of earning the maximum rate until maturity and a directionally opposite change in the assumptions used for the cumulative probability of default and the liquidity risk premium. The recovery rate in default is somewhat independent and based upon the securities' specific underlying assets and published recovery rate indices. Changes in the unobservable input variables would be unlikely to cause material changes in the fair value of the auction rate securities.

As of March 31, 2012 , all of the Company’s auction rate securities continue to have AAA underlying ratings. The underlying assets of the Company’s auction rate securities are student loans, which are substantially insured by the Federal Family Education Loan Program. The Company attributes the $0.5 million decline in the fair value of the securities from the original cost basis to external liquidity issues rather than credit issues. The Company assessed the decline in value to be temporary because it does not intend to sell and it is more likely than not that the Company will not have to sell the securities before their maturity.

During the three months ended March 31, 2011 , the Company recorded an unrealized pre-tax loss of $0.1 million on its auction rate securities, which was included in accumulated other comprehensive income. There was no gain or loss recorded for the three months ended March 31, 2012 . As of March 31, 2012 , the Company continued to earn interest on its auction rate securities according to their stated terms with interest rates resetting generally every 28 days.


10


The Company’s assets measured at fair value on a recurring basis at March 31, 2012 and December 31, 2011 were as follows (in thousands):

March 31, 2012
Quoted Prices in
Active Markets
for Identical
Assets
(Level 1)
Significant Other
Observable
Inputs
(Level 2)
Significant
Unobservable
Inputs
(Level 3)
Balance at
March 31,
2012
Auction rate securities
$

$

$
4,245

$
4,245

Marketable securities
$
4,997

$

$

$
4,997


December 31, 2011
Quoted Prices in
Active Markets
for Identical
Assets
(Level 1)
Significant Other
Observable
Inputs
(Level 2)
Significant
Unobservable
Inputs
(Level 3)
Balance at
December 31,
2011
Auction rate securities
$

$

$
4,245

$
4,245

Marketable securities
$
111

$

$

$
111


The following table presents the changes in the Company’s auction rate securities measured at fair value on a recurring basis using significant unobservable inputs (Level 3) during the three months ended March 31, 2012 and 2011 (in thousands):

Three Months Ended
March 31,
2012
2011
Balance at January 1,
$
4,245

$
5,437

Unrealized losses included in other comprehensive income

(58
)
Balance at March 31,
$
4,245

$
5,379


Senior Secured Notes

The fair value of the Company’s currently outstanding notes is based on quoted market prices and was $541.0 million at March 31, 2012 and $538.5 million at December 31, 2011 . The notes carrying value is Level 2 in the fair value hierarchy.

(5) GOODWILL AND OTHER INTANGIBLE ASSETS

The changes to goodwill for the three months ended March 31, 2012 were as follows (in thousands):
2012
Balance at January 1, 2012
$
122,392

Acquired from acquisitions
1,117

Increase from adjustments related to the acquisitions during the measurement period
1,005

Currency translation and other
1,209

Balance at March 31, 2012
$
125,723



11


Below is a summary of amortizable other intangible assets (in thousands):
March 31, 2012
December 31, 2011
Cost
Accumulated
Amortization
Net
Weighted
Average
Amortization
Period
(in years)
Cost
Accumulated
Amortization
Net
Weighted
Average
Amortization
Period
(in years)
Permits
$
107,894

$
46,743

$
61,151

16.7
$
106,939

$
45,629

$
61,310

17.9
Customer relationships
84,776

20,036

64,740

7.6
83,721

17,650

66,071

7.9
Other intangible assets
23,286

10,210

13,076

5.0
21,528

9,265

12,263

5.3
$
215,956

$
76,989

$
138,967

8.8
$
212,188

$
72,544

$
139,644

10.0

The aggregate amortization expense for the three months ended March 31, 2012 was $3.9 million . The aggregate amortization expense for the three months ended March 31, 2011 was $2.9 million .

Below is the expected future amortization for the net carrying amount of finite lived intangible assets at March 31, 2012 (in thousands):
Years Ending December 31,
Expected
Amortization
2012 (nine months)
$
11,255

2013
11,795

2014
11,320

2015
10,776

2016
10,113

Thereafter
80,080

$
135,339


(6) ACCRUED EXPENSES

Accrued expenses consisted of the following (in thousands):
March 31,
2012
December 31,
2011
Insurance
$
22,609

$
21,712

Interest
5,716

15,434

Accrued disposal costs
2,495

2,455

Accrued compensation and benefits
36,494

56,029

Income, real estate, sales and other taxes
18,302

14,863

Other
28,885

37,499

$
114,501

$
147,992



12


(7) CLOSURE AND POST-CLOSURE LIABILITIES

The changes to closure and post-closure liabilities (also referred to as “asset retirement obligations”) for the three months ended March 31, 2012 were as follows (in thousands):
Landfill
Retirement
Liability
Non-Landfill
Retirement
Liability
Total
Balance at January 1, 2012
$
25,764

$
9,117

$
34,881

New asset retirement obligations
639


639

Accretion
665

262

927

Changes in estimates recorded to statement of income

1

1

Other changes in estimates recorded to balance sheet
(2,221
)
11

(2,210
)
Expenditures
(41
)
(41
)
(82
)
Currency translation and other
60

(118
)
(58
)
Balance at March 31, 2012
$
24,866

$
9,232

$
34,098


All of the landfill facilities included in the above were active as of March 31, 2012 .

New asset retirement obligations incurred in 2012 are being discounted at the credit-adjusted risk-free rate of 8.56% and inflated at a rate of 1.02% .

(8) REMEDIAL LIABILITIES
The changes to remedial liabilities for the three months ended March 31, 2012 were as follows (in thousands):
Remedial
Liabilities for
Landfill Sites
Remedial
Liabilities for
Inactive Sites
Remedial
Liabilities
(Including
Superfund) for
Non-Landfill
Operations
Total
Balance at January 1, 2012
$
5,600

$
78,449

$
51,271

$
135,320

Accretion
68

860

561

1,489

Changes in estimates recorded to statement of income
(2
)
(309
)
(336
)
(647
)
Expenditures
(19
)
(948
)
(673
)
(1,640
)
Currency translation and other
52

3

423

478

Balance at March 31, 2012
$
5,699

$
78,055

$
51,246

$
135,000


(9) FINANCING ARRANGEMENTS
The following table is a summary of the Company’s financing arrangements (in thousands):
March 31,
2012
December 31,
2011
Senior secured notes, at 7.625%, due August 15, 2016
$
520,000

$
520,000

Revolving credit facility, due May 31, 2016


Unamortized notes premium and discount, net
3,833

4,203

Long-term obligations
$
523,833

$
524,203

At March 31, 2012 , the revolving credit facility had no outstanding loans, $ 164.8 million available to borrow and $ 85.2

13


million of letters of credit outstanding.

The financing arrangements and principal terms of the senior secured notes and the revolving credit facility are discussed further in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2011 . There have been no material changes in such terms during the first three months of 2012 .

(10) INCOME TAXES
The Company’s effective tax rate for the three months ended March 31, 2012 was 36.1% , compared to 37.1% for the same period in 2011 .
As of March 31, 2012 , the Company had recorded $36.2 million of liabilities for unrecognized tax benefits and $27.5 million of interest and penalties. As of December 31, 2011 , the Company had recorded $36.2 million of liabilities for unrecognized tax benefits and $26.8 million of interest and penalties.
The Company believes that it is reasonably possible that total unrecognized tax benefits and related reserves, other than adjustments for additional accruals for interest and penalties and foreign currency translation, will decrease by approximately $62.4 million within the next twelve months as a result of the lapse of the statute of limitations. The $62.4 million (which includes interest and penalties of $27.2 million ) is primarily related to a historical Canadian debt restructuring transaction and, if realized, will be recorded in earnings and therefore will impact the effective income tax rate.

(11) EARNINGS PER SHARE
The following is a reconciliation of basic and diluted earnings per share computations (in thousands except for per share amounts):
Three Months Ended
March 31,
2012
2011
Numerator for basic and diluted earnings per share:


Net Income
$
32,015

$
22,730

Denominator:


Basic shares outstanding
53,227

52,798

Dilutive effect of equity-based compensation awards
261

360

Dilutive shares outstanding
53,488

53,158

Basic earnings per share:


Net Income
$
0.60

$
0.43

Diluted earnings per share:


Net Income
$
0.60

$
0.43


For the three -month period ended March 31, 2012 , the dilutive effect of all then outstanding options, restricted stock and performance awards is included in the above calculations except for 69 thousand outstanding performance stock awards for which the performance criteria were not attained at that time. For the three -month period ended March 31, 2011 , the above calculations include the dilutive effects of all then outstanding options, restricted stock, and performance awards.


14


(12) STOCK-BASED COMPENSATION

The following table summarizes the total number and type of awards granted during the three -month period ended March 31, 2012 , as well as the related weighted-average grant-date fair values:
Shares
Weighted Average
Grant-Date
Fair Value
Restricted stock awards
47,507

$
67.33

Performance stock awards
68,719

$
67.33

Total awards
116,226



Certain performance stock awards granted in March 2012 are subject to achieving three performance goals including predetermined revenue, EBITDA and total reportable incident rate targets for a specified period of time as well as service conditions.  As of March 31, 2012 , based on year-to-date results of operations, management has not determined that it is probable that the performance targets for the 2012 performance awards will be achieved by December 31, 2013. As a result, the Company recognized no expense during the three months ended March 31, 2012 related to the 2012 performance stock awards.

(13) COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES
Legal and Administrative Proceedings
The Company’s waste management services are regulated by federal, state, provincial and local laws enacted to regulate discharge of materials into the environment, remediation of contaminated soil and groundwater or otherwise protect the environment. This ongoing regulation results in the Company frequently becoming a party to legal or administrative proceedings involving all levels of governmental authorities and other interested parties. The issues involved in such proceedings generally relate to applications for permits and licenses by the Company and conformity with legal requirements, alleged violations of existing permits and licenses, or alleged responsibility arising under federal or state Superfund laws to remediate contamination at properties owned either by the Company or by other parties (“third party sites”) to which either the Company or prior owners of certain of the Company’s facilities shipped wastes.
At March 31, 2012 and December 31, 2011 , the Company had recorded reserves of $31.0 million and $30.3 million , respectively, in the Company’s financial statements for actual or probable liabilities related to the legal and administrative proceedings in which the Company was then involved, the principal of which are described below. At March 31, 2012 and December 31, 2011 , the Company also believed that it was reasonably possible that the amount of these potential liabilities could be as much as $2.7 million more. The Company periodically adjusts the aggregate amount of these reserves when these actual or probable liabilities are paid or otherwise discharged, new claims arise, or additional relevant information about existing or probable claims becomes available. As of March 31, 2012 , the $31.0 million of reserves consisted of (i) $27.2 million related to pending legal or administrative proceedings, including Superfund liabilities, which were included in remedial liabilities on the consolidated balance sheets and (ii) $3.8 million primarily related to federal and state enforcement actions, which were included in accrued expenses on the consolidated balance sheets.
As of March 31, 2012 , the principal legal and administrative proceedings in which the Company was involved were as follows:
Ville Mercier. In September 2002, the Company acquired the stock of a subsidiary (the “Mercier Subsidiary”) which owns a hazardous waste incinerator in Ville Mercier, Quebec (the “Mercier Facility”). The property adjacent to the Mercier Facility, which is also owned by the Mercier Subsidiary, is now contaminated as a result of actions dating back to 1968, when the Government of Quebec issued to a company unrelated to the Mercier Subsidiary two permits to dump organic liquids into lagoons on the property. In 1999, Ville Mercier and three neighboring municipalities filed separate legal proceedings against the Mercier Subsidiary and the Government of Quebec claiming a total of $1.6 million as damages for additional costs to obtain drinking water supplies and seek an injunctive order to obligate the defendants to remediate the groundwater in the region. The Quebec Government also sued the Mercier Subsidiary to recover approximately $17.4 million (CDN) of alleged past costs for constructing and operating a treatment system and providing alternative drinking water supplies. On September 26, 2007, the Quebec Minister of Sustainable Development, Environment and Parks issued a Notice pursuant to Section 115.1 of the Environment Quality Act, superseding Notices issued in 1992, which are the subject of the pending litigation. The Mercier Subsidiary continues to assert that it has no responsibility for the groundwater contamination in the region and will contest any action by the Ministry to impose costs for remedial measures on the Mercier Subsidiary. The Company also continues to pursue

15


settlement options. At March 31, 2012 and December 31, 2011 , the Company had accrued $13.7 million and $13.3 million , respectively, for remedial liabilities relating to the Ville Mercier legal proceedings.
Deer Trail, Colorado Facility. Since April 5, 2006, the Company has been involved in various legal proceedings which have arisen as a result of the issuance by the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (“CDPHE”) of a radioactive materials license (“RAD License”) to a Company subsidiary, Clean Harbors Deer Trail, LLC (“CHDT”) to accept certain low level radioactive materials known as “NORM/TENORM” wastes for disposal. Adams County, the county where the CHDT facility is located, filed two suits against the CDPHE in Colorado effectively seeking to invalidate the license. On December 16, 2011, the parties to the lawsuits described above reached an Agreement in Principle (“AIP”) to resolve all outstanding disputes. The AIP requires additional approvals by County and State authorities before a final settlement and dismissal of the lawsuits can be finalized. The Company has not recorded any liability for this matter on the basis that such liability is currently neither probable nor estimable.
Superfund Proceedings
The Company has been notified that either the Company or the prior owners of certain of the Company’s facilities for which the Company may have certain indemnification obligations have been identified as potentially responsible parties (“PRPs”) or potential PRPs in connection with 65 sites which are subject to or are proposed to become subject to proceedings under federal or state Superfund laws. Of the 65 sites, two involve facilities that are now owned by the Company and 63 involve third party sites to which either the Company or the prior owners shipped wastes. In connection with each site, the Company has estimated the extent, if any, to which it may be subject, either directly or as a result of any such indemnification provisions, for cleanup and remediation costs, related legal and consulting costs associated with PRP investigations, settlements, and related legal and administrative proceedings. The amount of such actual and potential liability is inherently difficult to estimate because of, among other relevant factors, uncertainties as to the legal liability (if any) of the Company or the prior owners of certain of the Company’s facilities to contribute a portion of the cleanup costs, the assumptions that must be made in calculating the estimated cost and timing of remediation, the identification of other PRPs and their respective capability and obligation to contribute to remediation efforts, and the existence and legal standing of indemnification agreements (if any) with prior owners, which may either benefit the Company or subject the Company to potential indemnification obligations.
The Company’s potential liability for cleanup costs at the two facilities now owned by the Company and at 35 (the “Listed Third Party Sites”) of the 63 third party sites arose out of the Company’s 2002 acquisition of substantially all of the assets (the “CSD assets”) of the Chemical Services Division of Safety-Kleen Corp. As part of the purchase price for the CSD assets, the Company became liable as the owner of these two facilities and also agreed to indemnify the prior owners of the CSD assets against their share of certain cleanup costs for the Listed Third Party Sites payable to governmental entities under federal or state Superfund laws. Of the 35 Listed Third Party Sites, seven are currently requiring expenditures on remediation, 13 are now settled, and 15 are not currently requiring expenditures on remediation. The status of one of the facilities now owned by the Company (the BR Facility) and one of the Listed Third Party Sites (the Casmalia site) are further described below. There are also two third party sites at which the Company has been named a PRP as a result of its acquisition of the CSD assets but disputes that it has any cleanup or related liabilities; one such site (the Marine Shale site) is described below. The Company views any liabilities associated with the Marine Shale site and the other third party site as excluded liabilities under the terms of the CSD asset acquisition, but the Company is working with the EPA on a potential settlement. In addition to the CSD related Superfund sites, there are certain of the other third party sites which are not related to the Company’s acquisition of the CSD assets, and certain notifications which the Company has received about other third party sites.
BR Facility. The Company acquired in 2002 as part of the CSD assets a former hazardous waste incinerator and landfill in Baton Rouge (the “BR Facility”), for which operations had been previously discontinued by the prior owner. In September 2007, the United States Environmental Protection Agency (the “EPA”) issued a special notice letter to the Company related to the Devil’s Swamp Lake Site (“Devil’s Swamp”) in East Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana. Devil’s Swamp includes a lake located downstream of an outfall ditch where wastewater and stormwater have been discharged, and Devil’s Swamp is proposed to be included on the National Priorities List due to the presence of Contaminants of Concern (“COC”) cited by the EPA. These COCs include substances of the kind found in wastewater and storm water discharged from the BR Facility in past operations. The EPA originally requested COC generators to submit a good faith offer to conduct a remedial investigation feasibility study directed towards the eventual remediation of the site. The Company is currently performing corrective actions at the BR Facility under an order issued by the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality (the “LDEQ”), and has begun conducting the remedial investigation and feasibility study under an order issued by the EPA. The Company cannot presently estimate the potential additional liability for the Devil’s Swamp cleanup until a final remedy is selected by the EPA.
Casmalia Site. At one of the 35 Listed Third Party Sites, the Casmalia Resources Hazardous Waste Management Facility (the “Casmalia site”) in Santa Barbara County, California, the Company received from the EPA a request for information

16


in May 2007. In that request, the EPA is seeking information about the extent to which, if at all, the prior owner transported or arranged for disposal of waste at the Casmalia site. The Company has not recorded any liability for this 2007 notice on the basis that such transporter or arranger liability is currently neither probable nor estimable.
Marine Shale Site. On May 11, 2007, the EPA and the LDEQ issued a special notice to the Company and other PRPs, seeking a good faith offer to address site remediation at the former Marine Shale facility. Certain of the former owners of the CSD assets were major customers of Marine Shale, but the Marine Shale site was not included as a Listed Third Party Site in connection with the Company’s acquisition of the CSD assets and the Company was never a customer of Marine Shale. Although the Company believes that it is not liable (either directly or under any indemnification obligation) for cleanup costs at the Marine Shale site, the Company elected to join with other parties which had been notified that are potentially PRPs in connection with Marine Shale site to form a group (the “Site Group”) to retain common counsel and participate in further negotiations with the EPA and the LDEQ directed towards the eventual remediation of the Marine Shale site. The Site Group made a good faith settlement offer to the EPA on November 29, 2007, and negotiations among the EPA, the LDEQ and the Site Group with respect to the Marine Shale site are ongoing. At March 31, 2012 and December 31, 2011 , the amount of the Company’s reserves relating to the Marine Shale site was $3.9 million and $3.8 million , respectively.
Certain Other Third Party Sites. At 14 of the 63 third party sites, the Company has an indemnification agreement with ChemWaste, a former subsidiary of Waste Management, Inc. and the prior owner. The agreement indemnifies the Company with respect to any liability at the 14 sites for waste disposed prior to the Company’s acquisition of the sites. Accordingly, Waste Management is paying all costs of defending those subsidiaries in those 14 cases, including legal fees and settlement costs. However, there can be no guarantee that the Company’s ultimate liabilities for these sites will not exceed the amount recorded or that indemnities applicable to any of these sites will be available to pay all or a portion of related costs. The Company does not have an indemnity agreement with respect to any of the other remaining 63 third party sites not discussed above. However, the Company believes that its additional potential liability, if any, to contribute to the cleanup of such remaining sites will not, in the aggregate, exceed $100,000 .
Other Notifications. Between September 2004 and May 2006, the Company also received notices from certain of the prior owners of the CSD assets seeking indemnification from the Company at five third party sites which are not included in the third party sites described above that have been designated as Superfund sites or potential Superfund sites and for which those prior owners have been identified as PRPs or potential PRPs. The Company has responded to such letters asserting that the Company has no obligation to indemnify those prior owners for any cleanup and related costs (if any) which they may incur in connection with these five sites. The Company intends to assist those prior owners by providing information that is now in the Company’s possession with respect to those five sites and, if appropriate, to participate in negotiations with the government agencies and PRP groups involved. The Company has also investigated the sites to determine the existence of potential liabilities independent from the liability of those former owners, and concluded that at this time the Company is not liable for any portion of the potential cleanup of the five sites and therefore has not established a reserve.
Federal, State and Provincial Enforcement Actions
From time to time, the Company pays fines or penalties in regulatory proceedings relating primarily to waste treatment, storage or disposal facilities. As of March 31, 2012 and December 31, 2011 , there were five and four proceedings, respectively, for which the Company reasonably believed that the sanctions could equal or exceed $100,000 . The Company does not believe that the fines or other penalties in these or any of the other regulatory proceedings will, individually or in the aggregate, have a material adverse effect on its financial condition, results of operations or cash flows.
Other Contingencies
In December 2010, the Company paid $10.5 million to acquire a minority interest in a privately-held company. Subsequent to the purchase of those securities but prior to December 31, 2010, the privately-held company exercised its irrevocable call right for those shares and tendered payment for a total of $10.5 million . The Company is disputing the fair value asserted by the privately-held company and believes that the shares had a fair value on the date of the exercise of the call right greater than the amount tendered. Due to the exercise of the irrevocable call right, the Company did not own those shares of that privately-held company as of December 31, 2010 , and accordingly has recorded the $10.5 million in prepaid expenses and other current assets. The potential recovery of any additional amount depends upon several contested factors, and is considered a gain contingency and therefore has not been recorded in the Company’s consolidated financial statements. At March 31, 2012 , the Company still had $10.5 million recorded in prepaid expenses and other current assets.


17


(14) SEGMENT REPORTING
During the quarter ended March 31, 2012, the Company re-assigned certain departments among its segments to support management reporting changes. Accordingly, the Company re-allocated shared departmental costs among its segments. The Company has recast the prior year segment information to conform to the current year presentation.

The Company’s operations are managed in four reportable segments: Technical Services, Field Services, Industrial Services and Oil and Gas Field Services. Performance of the segments is evaluated on several factors, of which the primary financial measure is “Adjusted EBITDA,” which consists of net income plus accretion of environmental liabilities, depreciation and amortization, net interest expense, and provision for income taxes. Also excluded is other income as this amount is not considered part of usual business operations. Transactions between the segments are accounted for at the Company’s estimate of fair value based on similar transactions with outside customers.
The operations not managed through the Company’s four operating segments are recorded as “Corporate Items.” Corporate Items revenues consist of two different operations for which the revenues are insignificant. Corporate Items cost of revenues represents certain central services that are not allocated to the four operating segments for internal reporting purposes. Corporate Items selling, general and administrative expenses include typical corporate items such as legal, accounting and other items of a general corporate nature that are not allocated to the Company’s four operating segments.
The following table reconciles third party revenues to direct revenues for the three month periods ended March 31, 2012 and 2011 (in thousands). Third party revenue is revenue billed to outside customers by a particular segment. Direct revenue is the revenue allocated to the segment performing the provided service. The Company analyzes results of operations based on direct revenues because the Company believes that these revenues and related expenses best reflect the manner in which operations are managed.

For the Three Months Ended March 31, 2012
Technical
Services
Field
Services
Industrial
Services
Oil and Gas
Field
Services
Corporate
Items
Totals
Third party revenues
$
209,967

$
51,810

$
160,096

$
149,448

$
701

$
572,022

Intersegment revenues, net
9,554

(4,293
)
(7,536
)
2,548

(273
)

Direct revenues
$
219,521

$
47,517

$
152,560

$
151,996

$
428

$
572,022


For the Three Months Ended March 31, 2011
Technical
Services
Field
Services
Industrial
Services
Oil and Gas
Field
Services
Corporate
Items
Totals
Third party revenues
$
196,016

$
51,691

$
112,882

$
74,334

$
39

$
434,962

Intersegment revenues, net
3,346

(2,157
)
(3,479
)
2,800

(510
)

Direct revenues
$
199,362

$
49,534

$
109,403

$
77,134

$
(471
)
$
434,962



18


The following table presents information used by management by reported segment (in thousands). The Company does not allocate interest expense, income taxes, depreciation, amortization, accretion of environmental liabilities, and other income to its segments.

For the Three Months
Ended March 31,
2012
2011
Adjusted EBITDA:


Technical Services
$
50,825

$
47,679

Field Services
2,304

3,989

Industrial Services
34,657

24,296

Oil and Gas Field Services
38,399

13,712

Corporate Items
(25,237
)
(22,085
)
Total
$
100,948

$
67,591

Reconciliation to Consolidated Statements of Income:


Accretion of environmental liabilities
$
2,416

$
2,389

Depreciation and amortization
36,831

25,460

Income from operations
61,701

39,742

Other expense (income)
299

(2,899
)
Interest expense, net of interest income
11,272

6,478

Income before provision for income taxes
$
50,130

$
36,163


19


The following table presents assets by reported segment and in the aggregate (in thousands):
March 31,
2012
December 31,
2011
Property, plant and equipment, net


Technical Services
$
307,005

$
308,118

Field Services
32,126

30,296

Industrial Services
264,923

254,469

Oil and Gas Field Services
268,521

267,987

Corporate Items
46,109

43,077

Total property, plant and equipment, net
$
918,684

$
903,947

Intangible assets:


Technical Services


Goodwill
$
44,452

$
44,410

Permits and other intangibles, net
80,983

81,605

Total Technical Services
125,435

126,015

Field Services


Goodwill
2,232

2,232

Permits and other intangibles, net
1,167

1,204

Total Field Services
3,399

3,436

Industrial Services


Goodwill
46,143

45,444

Permits and other intangibles, net
20,292

19,701

Total Industrial Services
66,435

65,145

Oil and Gas Field Services


Goodwill
32,896

30,306

Permits and other intangibles, net
36,525

37,134

Total Oil and Gas Field Services
69,421

67,440

Total
$
264,690

$
262,036


The following table presents the total assets by reported segment (in thousands):

March 31,
2012
December 31,
2011
Technical Services
$
601,864

$
604,904

Field Services
39,439

37,850

Industrial Services
350,142

345,202

Oil and Gas Field Services
425,991

429,938

Corporate Items
675,459

667,909

Total
$
2,092,895

$
2,085,803

The following table presents the total assets by geographical area (in thousands):
March 31,
2012
December 31,
2011
United States
$
1,105,994

$
1,119,491

Canada
986,901

961,936

Other foreign

4,376

Total
$
2,092,895

$
2,085,803


20


(15) GUARANTOR AND NON-GUARANTOR SUBSIDIARIES FINANCIAL INFORMATION

As of March 31, 2012 , the Company had outstanding $520.0 million aggregate principal amount of 7.625% senior secured notes due 2016 issued by the parent company, Clean Harbors, Inc.  The parent’s senior secured notes outstanding are guaranteed by substantially all of the parent’s subsidiaries organized in the United States. Each guarantor is a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Company and its guarantee is both full and unconditional and joint and several.  The parent’s notes are not guaranteed by the Company’s Canadian or other foreign subsidiaries. The following presents supplemental condensed consolidating financial information for the parent company, the guarantor subsidiaries and the non-guarantor subsidiaries, respectively.

Following is the condensed consolidating balance sheet at March 31, 2012 (in thousands):
Clean
Harbors, Inc.
U.S. Guarantor
Subsidiaries
Foreign
Non-Guarantor
Subsidiaries
Consolidating
Adjustments
Total
Assets:





Cash and cash equivalents
$
85,524

$
118,456

$
37,547

$

$
241,527

Intercompany receivables
321,849


104,050

(425,899
)

Other current assets
36,339

313,765

290,254


640,358

Property, plant and equipment, net

400,336

518,348


918,684

Investments in subsidiaries
1,117,420

453,810

91,754

(1,662,984
)

Intercompany debt receivable

481,838

3,701

(485,539
)

Other long-term assets
12,766

111,200

168,360


292,326

Total assets
$
1,573,898

$
1,879,405

$
1,214,014

$
(2,574,422
)
$
2,092,895

Liabilities and Stockholders’ Equity:





Current liabilities
$
6,014

$
206,381

$
129,832

$

$
342,227

Intercompany payables

425,899


(425,899
)

Closure, post-closure and remedial liabilities, net

128,953

21,492


150,445

Long-term obligations
523,833




523,833

Capital lease obligations, net

416

4,990


5,406

Intercompany debt payable
3,701


481,838

(485,539
)

Other long-term liabilities
89,072

7,592

23,042


119,706

Total liabilities
622,620

769,241

661,194

(911,438
)
1,141,617

Stockholders’ equity
951,278

1,110,164

552,820

(1,662,984
)
951,278

Total liabilities and stockholders’ equity
$
1,573,898

$
1,879,405

$
1,214,014

$
(2,574,422
)
$
2,092,895



21


Following is the condensed consolidating balance sheet at December 31, 2011 (in thousands):
Clean
Harbors, Inc.
U.S. Guarantor
Subsidiaries
Foreign
Non-Guarantor
Subsidiaries
Consolidating
Adjustments
Total
Assets:





Cash and cash equivalents
$
91,581

$
128,071

$
41,071

$

$
260,723

Intercompany receivables
319,444


126,823

(446,267
)

Other current assets
43,687

324,607

262,851


631,145

Property, plant and equipment, net

392,566

511,381


903,947

Investments in subsidiaries
1,064,966

421,648

91,654

(1,578,268
)

Intercompany debt receivable

472,929

3,701

(476,630
)

Other long-term assets
13,228

111,104

165,656


289,988

Total assets
$
1,532,906

$
1,850,925

$
1,203,137

$
(2,501,165
)
$
2,085,803

Liabilities and Stockholders’ Equity:





Current liabilities
$
15,612

$
220,968

$
145,162

$

$
381,742

Intercompany payables

446,267


(446,267
)

Closure, post-closure and remedial liabilities, net

133,773

21,369


155,142

Long-term obligations
524,203




524,203

Capital lease obligations, net

475

5,900


6,375

Intercompany debt payable
3,701


472,929

(476,630
)

Other long-term liabilities
88,403

7,588

21,363


117,354

Total liabilities
631,919

809,071

666,723

(922,897
)
1,184,816

Stockholders’ equity
900,987

1,041,854

536,414

(1,578,268
)
900,987

Total liabilities and stockholders’ equity
$
1,532,906

$
1,850,925

$
1,203,137

$
(2,501,165
)
$
2,085,803



22


Following is the consolidating statement of income for the three months ended March 31, 2012 (in thousands):
Clean
Harbors, Inc.
U.S. Guarantor
Subsidiaries
Foreign
Non-Guarantor
Subsidiaries
Consolidating
Adjustments
Total
Revenues
$

$
291,537

$
285,729

$
(5,244
)
$
572,022

Cost of revenues (exclusive of items shown separately below)

201,200

204,359

(5,244
)
400,315

Selling, general and administrative expenses
80

44,912

25,767


70,759

Accretion of environmental liabilities

2,096

320


2,416

Depreciation and amortization

16,636

20,195


36,831

Income from operations
(80
)
26,693

35,088


61,701

Other (expense) income

(450
)
151


(299
)
Interest (expense) income
(10,706
)
(201
)
(365
)

(11,272
)
Equity in earnings of subsidiaries
36,465

25,996


(62,461
)

Intercompany dividend income (expense)
10,010


3,526

(13,536
)

Intercompany interest income (expense)

10,345

(10,345
)


Income before provision for income taxes
35,689

62,383

28,055

(75,997
)
50,130

Provision for income taxes
3,674

5,722

8,719


18,115

Net income
$
32,015

$
56,661

$
19,336

$
(75,997
)
$
32,015


Following is the consolidating statement of income for the three months ended March 31, 2011 (in thousands):
Clean
Harbors, Inc.
U.S. Guarantor
Subsidiaries
Foreign
Non-Guarantor
Subsidiaries
Consolidating
Adjustments
Total
Revenues
$

$
248,367

$
192,788

$
(6,193
)
$
434,962

Cost of revenues (exclusive of items shown separately below)

175,438

143,332

(6,193
)
312,577

Selling, general and administrative expenses
42

36,111

18,641


54,794

Accretion of environmental liabilities

2,087

302


2,389

Depreciation and amortization

12,998

12,462


25,460

Income from operations
(42
)
21,733

18,051


39,742

Other income (expense)

3,336

(437
)

2,899

Interest (expense) income
(6,676
)
168

30


(6,478
)
Equity in earnings of subsidiaries
33,331

7,301


(40,632
)

Intercompany dividend income (expense)


3,456

(3,456
)

Intercompany interest income (expense)

8,730

(8,730
)


Income before provision for income taxes
26,613

41,268

12,370

(44,088
)
36,163

Provision for income taxes
3,883

6,327

3,223


13,433

Net income
22,730

34,941

9,147

(44,088
)
22,730



23


Following is the condensed consolidating statement of cash flows for the three months ended March 31, 2012 (in thousands):
Clean
Harbors, Inc.
U.S. Guarantor
Subsidiaries
Foreign
Non-Guarantor
Subsidiaries
Total
Net cash from operating activities
$
(18,010
)
$
10,827

$
36,736

$
29,553

Cash flows from investing activities:




Additions to property, plant and equipment

(14,678
)
(12,983
)
(27,661
)
Proceeds from sales of fixed assets

146

279

425

Acquisitions, net of cash acquired

(2,276
)
(6,475
)
(8,751
)
Costs to obtain or renew permits

(106
)
(319
)
(425
)
Purchase of available for sale securities


(4,468
)
(4,468
)
Other

603

4,517

5,120

Net cash from investing activities

(16,311
)
(19,449
)
(35,760
)
Cash flows from financing activities:




Change in uncashed checks

(7,125
)
(6,451
)
(13,576
)
Proceeds from exercise of stock options
30



30

Proceeds from employee stock purchase plan
1,238



1,238

Excess tax benefit of stock-based compensation
713



713

Payments on capital leases

(361
)
(1,805
)
(2,166
)
Distribution of cash earned on employee participation plan
(38
)


(38
)
Dividends (paid) / received
10,010

(13,428
)
3,418


Interest (payments) / received

16,783

(16,783
)

Net cash from financing activities
11,953

(4,131
)
(21,621
)
(13,799
)
Effect of exchange rate change on cash


810

810

Decrease in cash and cash equivalents
(6,057
)
(9,615
)
(3,524
)
(19,196
)
Cash and cash equivalents, beginning of period
91,581

128,071

41,071

260,723

Cash and cash equivalents, end of period
$
85,524

$
118,456

$
37,547

$
241,527



24


Following is the condensed consolidating statement of cash flows for the three months ended March 31, 2011 (in thousands):
Clean
Harbors, Inc.
U.S. Guarantor
Subsidiaries
Foreign
Non-Guarantor
Subsidiaries
Total
Net cash from operating activities
$
2,898

$
3,937

$
8,021

$
14,856

Cash flows from investing activities:




Additions to property, plant and equipment

(14,884
)
(19,231
)
(34,115
)
Proceeds from sale of fixed assets

67

946

1,013

Acquisitions, net of cash acquired


(2,152
)
(2,152
)
Additions to intangible assets, including costs to obtain or renew permits

(217
)
(105
)
(322
)
Proceeds from sale of marketable securities


388

388

Net cash from investing activities

(15,034
)
(20,154
)
(35,188
)
Cash flows from financing activities:




Change in uncashed checks

(2,087
)
(3,129
)
(5,216
)
Proceeds from exercise of stock options
39



39

Proceeds from employee stock purchase plan
699



699

Remittance of shares, net
(1,784
)


(1,784
)
Excess tax benefit of stock-based compensation
1,105



1,105

Deferred financing costs paid
(5,628
)


(5,628
)
Payments of capital leases

(186
)
(1,504
)
(1,690
)
Distribution of cash earned on employee participation plan


(189
)
(189
)
Issuance of senior secured notes, including premium
261,250



261,250

Dividends (paid) / received
10,186

(24,306
)
14,120


Interest (payments) / received

24,132

(24,132
)

Net cash from financing activities
265,867

(2,447
)
(14,834
)
248,586

Effect of exchange rate change on cash


1,299

1,299

Increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents
268,765

(13,544
)
(25,668
)
229,553

Cash and cash equivalents, beginning of period
100,476

124,582

77,152

302,210

Cash and cash equivalents, end of period
$
369,241

$
111,038

$
51,484

$
531,763



25


ITEM 2. MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
Forward-Looking Statements
In addition to historical information, this quarterly report contains forward-looking statements, which are generally identifiable by use of the words “believes,” “expects,” “intends,” “anticipates,” “plans to,” “estimates,” “projects,” or similar expressions. These forward-looking statements are subject to certain risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those reflected in these forward-looking statements. Factors that might cause such a difference include, but are not limited to, those discussed under Item 1A, “Risk Factors,” in our Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on February 29, 2012, under Item 1A, “Risk Factors,” included in Part II—Other Information in this report, and in other documents we file from time to time with the Securities and Exchange Commission.  Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which reflect management’s opinions only as of the date hereof. We undertake no obligation to revise or publicly release the results of any revision to these forward-looking statements.
General
We are a leading provider of environmental, energy and industrial services throughout North America.  We serve over 60,000 customers, including a majority of Fortune 500 companies, thousands of smaller private entities and numerous federal, state, provincial and local governmental agencies. We have more than 200 locations, including over 50 waste management facilities, throughout North America in 37 U.S. states, seven Canadian provinces, Mexico and Puerto Rico.
During the quarter ended March 31, 2012, we re-assigned certain departments among the segments to support management reporting changes. Accordingly, we re-allocated shared departmental costs among our segments. We have recast the prior year segment information to conform to the current year presentation.

We report our business in four operating segments, consisting of:
Technical Services — provide a broad range of hazardous material management services including the packaging, collection, transportation, treatment and disposal of hazardous and non-hazardous waste at Company owned incineration, landfill, wastewater, and other treatment facilities.
Field Services — provide a wide variety of environmental cleanup services on customer sites or other locations on a scheduled or emergency response basis including tank cleaning, decontamination, remediation, and spill cleanup.
Industrial Services — provides industrial and specialty services, such as high-pressure and chemical cleaning, catalyst handling, decoking, material processing, surface rentals and industrial lodging services to refineries, chemical plants, oil sands facilities, pulp and paper mills, and other industrial facilities.
Oil and Gas Field Services — provides fluid handling, fluid hauling, down hole servicing, exploration, mapping and directional boring services to the energy sector serving oil and gas exploration, production, and power generation.
Technical Services and Field Services are included as part of Clean Harbors Environmental Services, and Industrial Services and Oil and Gas Field Services are included as part of Clean Harbors Energy and Industrial Services.
Overview
During the three months ended March 31, 2012 , our revenues were $572.0 million , compared with $435.0 million during the three months ended March 31, 2011 .  The year-over-year revenue growth was driven by growth across the majority of our segments.
Our Technical Services revenues accounted for 38% of our total revenues for the three months ended March 31, 2012 .  The year-over-year increase in revenues of 10% was primarily due to revenue growth at our incinerators and landfills.  The utilization rate at our incinerators was 90% for the three months ended March 31, 2012 compared with 85% in the comparable period of 2011, and our landfill volumes increased more than 19% year-over-year.
Our Field Services revenues accounted for 8% of our total revenues for the three months ended March 31, 2012 . The year-over-year decrease in revenue of 4% resulted primarily from a reduction in large event business, offset partially by a steady

26


stream of ongoing maintenance and project work in the quarter.
Our Industrial Services revenues accounted for 27% of our total revenues for the three months ended March 31, 2012 . The year-over-year increase in revenue of 39% was primarily due to increased activity in the oil sands region of Canada, continued demand for our broad array of specialty services, revenues associated with the acquisitions including Peak Energy Services Ltd. (“Peak”), and high utilization rates at the camps in our lodging business.
Our Oil and Gas Field Services revenues accounted for 27% of our total revenues for the three months ended March 31, 2012 . The year-over-year increase of 97% was primarily due to contributions from cross-selling opportunities related to the Peak acquisition and other acquisitions we completed in 2011, increased exploration and drilling activity in Western Canada due to higher oil prices, and continued investments in U.S. gas and oil production resulting in increased demand for our services.
Our cost of revenues increased from $312.6 million in the first quarter of 2011 to $400.3 million in the first quarter of 2012.  Our cost of revenues increased primarily due to costs associated with our recent acquisitions and because of our increased revenues.  Our gross profit margin was 30.0% for the three months ended March 31, 2012 , compared to 28.1% in the same period last year. Margins in the quarter benefited from higher revenue as well as our cost control programs, pricing initiatives and comprehensive margin improvement initiatives.
During the three months ended March 31, 2012 , our net income was also affected by an effective tax rate of 36.1% , compared with 37.1% for the same period last year. The decrease in the effective tax rate was primarily attributable to our ability to fully utilize currently earned foreign tax credits, reduced interest expense accrued on uncertain tax benefits, and increased profits attributable to Canada, which has a lower corporate income tax rate as compared to the United States.
Environmental Liabilities
We have accrued environmental liabilities as of March 31, 2012 , of approximately $169.1 million , substantially all of which we assumed as part of our acquisitions of the Chemical Services Division, or “CSD,” of Safety-Kleen Corp. in 2002, Teris LLC in 2006, and one of the two solvent recycling facilities we purchased from Safety-Kleen Systems, Inc. in 2008.  We anticipate such liabilities will be payable over many years and that cash flows generated from operations will be sufficient to fund the payment of such liabilities when required. However, events not now anticipated (such as future changes in environmental laws and regulations) could require that such payments be made earlier or in greater amounts than currently anticipated.

We realized a net benefit in the three months ended March 31, 2012 of $0.6 million related to changes in our environmental liability estimates. Changes in environmental liability estimates include changes in landfill retirement liability estimates, which are recorded in cost of revenues, and changes in non-landfill retirement and remedial liability estimates, which are recorded in selling, general and administrative costs.  During the three months ended March 31, 2012 , a benefit of approximately $0.6 million was recorded in selling, general and administrative expenses. See further detail discussed in Note 7, “Closure and Post-Closure Liabilities,” and Note 8, “Remedial Liabilities,” to our consolidated financial statements included in Item 1 of this report.


27


Results of Operations
The following table sets forth for the periods indicated certain operating data associated with our results of operations. This table and subsequent discussions should be read in conjunction with Item 6, “Selected Financial Data,” and Item 8, "Financial Statements and Supplementary Data," of our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2011, and Item 1, "Financial Statements," in this report.
Percentage of Total Revenues
For the Three Months Ended
March 31,
2012
2011
Revenues
100.0
%
100.0
%
Cost of revenues (exclusive of items shown separately below)
70.0

71.9

Selling, general and administrative expenses
12.4

12.6

Accretion of environmental liabilities
0.4

0.5

Depreciation and amortization
6.4

5.9

Income from operations
10.8

9.1

Other (expense) income

0.7

Interest expense, net of interest income
(2.0
)
(1.5
)
Income before provision for income taxes
8.8

8.3

Provision for income taxes
3.2

3.1

Net Income
5.6
%
5.2
%

Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation and Amortization (“Adjusted EBITDA”)
We define Adjusted EBITDA (a measure not defined under generally accepted accounting principles) as net income plus accretion of environmental liabilities, depreciation and amortization, net interest expense and provision for income taxes, less other income and income from discontinued operations, net of tax.  Our management considers Adjusted EBITDA to be a measurement of performance which provides useful information to both management and investors. Adjusted EBITDA should not be considered an alternative to net income or other measurements under generally accepted accounting principles in the United States (“GAAP”). Because Adjusted EBITDA is not calculated identically by all companies, our measurements of Adjusted EBITDA may not be comparable to similarly titled measures reported by other companies.
We use Adjusted EBITDA to enhance our understanding of our core operating performance, which represents our views concerning our performance in the ordinary, ongoing and customary course of our operations. We historically have found it helpful, and believe that investors have found it helpful, to consider an operating measure that excludes expenses such as debt extinguishment and related costs relating to transactions not reflective of our core operations.
The information about our core operating performance provided by this financial measure is used by our management for a variety of purposes. We regularly communicate Adjusted EBITDA results to our board of directors and discuss with the board our interpretation of such results. We also compare our Adjusted EBITDA performance against internal targets as a key factor in determining cash bonus compensation for executives and other employees, largely because we believe that this measure is indicative of how the fundamental business is performing and is being managed.

We also provide information relating to our Adjusted EBITDA so that analysts, investors and other interested persons have the same data that we use to assess our core operating performance. We believe that Adjusted EBITDA should be viewed only as a supplement to the GAAP financial information. We also believe, however, that providing this information in addition to, and together with, GAAP financial information permits the foregoing persons to obtain a better understanding of our core operating performance and to evaluate the efficacy of the methodology and information used by management to evaluate and measure such performance on a standalone and a comparative basis.

28


The following is a reconciliation of net income to Adjusted EBITDA (in thousands):

For the Three Months Ended
March 31
2012
2011
Net income
$
32,015

$
22,730

Accretion of environmental liabilities
2,416

2,389

Depreciation and amortization
36,831

25,460

Other expense (income)
299

(2,899
)
Interest expense, net
11,272

6,478

Provision for income taxes
18,115

13,433

Adjusted EBITDA
$
100,948

$
67,591

The following reconciles Adjusted EBITDA to cash from operations (in thousands):

For the Three Months Ended
March 31,
2012
2011
Adjusted EBITDA
$
100,948

$
67,591

Interest expense, net
(11,272
)
(6,478
)
Provision for income taxes
(18,115
)
(13,433
)
Allowance for doubtful accounts
203

205

Amortization of deferred financing costs and debt discount
367

614

Change in environmental liability estimates
(646
)
(260
)
Deferred income taxes
(269
)
486

Stock-based compensation
2,141

1,744

Excess tax benefit of stock-based compensation
(713
)
(1,105
)
Income tax benefits related to stock option exercises
713

1,105

Eminent domain compensation

3,354

Environmental expenditures
(1,722
)
(2,340
)
Changes in assets and liabilities, net of acquisitions:


Accounts receivable
(12,955
)
(10,341
)
Other current assets
(1,890
)
2,949

Accounts payable
(4,302
)
(6,876
)
Other current liabilities
(22,935
)
(22,359
)
Net cash from operating activities
$
29,553

$
14,856

Segment data

Performance of our segments is evaluated on several factors of which the primary financial measure is Adjusted EBITDA. The following tables set forth certain operating data associated with our results of operations and summarizes Adjusted EBITDA contribution by operating segment for the three months ended March 31, 2012 and 2011 (in thousands). We consider the Adjusted EBITDA contribution from each operating segment to include revenue attributable to each segment less operating expenses, which include cost of revenues and selling, general and administrative expenses. Revenue attributable to each segment is generally external or direct revenue from third party customers. Certain income or expenses of a non-recurring or unusual nature are not included in the operating segment Adjusted EBITDA contribution. Amounts presented have been recast to reflect the changes made to our segment presentation as a result of the changes made in the first quarter of 2012 in how we manage our business. This table and subsequent discussions should be read in conjunction with Item 6, “Selected Financial Data,” and Item 8, “Financial Statements and Supplementary Data,” and in particular Note 15, “Segment Reporting,” included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2011 and Item 1, “Unaudited Financial Statements” and in particular Note 14,

29


“Segment Reporting,” in this report.
Three months ended March 31, 2012 versus the three months ended March 31, 2011

Summary of Operations (in thousands)
For the Three Months Ended March 31,
2012
2011
$
Change
%
Change
Direct Revenues:




Technical Services
$
219,521

$
199,362

$
20,159

10.1
%
Field Services
47,517

49,534

(2,017
)
(4.1
)
Industrial Services
152,560

109,403

43,157

39.4

Oil and Gas Field Services
151,996

77,134

74,862

97.1

Corporate Items
428

(471
)
899

(190.9
)
Total
572,022

434,962

137,060

31.5

Cost of Revenues (exclusive of items shown separately) (1):




Technical Services
146,949

134,183

12,766

9.5

Field Services
38,445

40,109

(1,664
)
(4.1
)
Industrial Services
109,399

77,460

31,939

41.2

Oil and Gas Field Services
103,854

58,819

45,035

76.6

Corporate Items
1,668

2,006

(338
)
(16.8
)
Total
400,315

312,577

87,738

28.1

Selling, General & Administrative Expenses:




Technical Services
21,747

17,500

4,247

24.3

Field Services
6,768

5,436

1,332

24.5

Industrial Services
8,504

7,647

857

11.2

Oil and Gas Field Services
9,743

4,603

5,140

111.7

Corporate Items
23,997

19,608

4,389

22.4

Total
70,759

54,794

15,965

29.1

Adjusted EBITDA:




Technical Services
50,825

47,679

3,146

6.6

Field Services
2,304

3,989

(1,685
)
(42.2
)
Industrial Services
34,657

24,296

10,361

42.6

Oil and Gas Field Services
38,399

13,712

24,687

180.0

Corporate Items
(25,237
)
(22,085
)
(3,152
)
14.3

Total
$
100,948

$
67,591

$
33,357

49.4
%
_______________________
(1) Items shown separately consist of (i) accretion of environmental liabilities and (ii) depreciation and amortization.
Revenues
Technical Services revenues increased 10.1% , or $20.2 million , in the three months ended March 31, 2012 from the comparable period in 2011 primarily due to changes in product mix and increases in pricing ($2.7 million), increases in volumes being processed through our landfills, treatment, storage and disposal facilities, solvent recycling facilities and waste water treatment plants ($4.8 million), a slight increase due to an acquisition in August 2011, and an increase in our base business.

30


Field Services revenues decreased 4.1% , or $2.0 million , in the three months ended March 31, 2012 from the comparable period in 2011 primarily due to reductions in our large event business ($4.5 million) and our transformer services business ($1.7 million), offset partially by an increase in our large remedial project business ($1.5 million) and growth in our base business.

Industrial Services revenues increased 39.4% , or $43.2 million , in the three months ended March 31, 2012 from the comparable period in 2011 primarily due to an increase in our lodging business ($38.2 million), growth in the oil sands region of Canada, and an increase in a broad array of our specialty services. These increases resulted partially from revenues associated with our acquisitions in 2011 including Peak in June 2011.
Oil and Gas Field Services revenues increased 97.1% , or $74.9 million , in the three months ended March 31, 2012 from the comparable period in 2011 primarily due to fluids handling and surface rentals activity related to the acquisition of Peak in June 2011 ($38.8 million), increased exploration activities partially from revenues associated with an acquisition in July 2011 and from increased oil prices ($34.5 million), and an increase in the energy services business ($2.1 million), offset partially by intersegment expenses incurred.
There are many factors which have impacted, and continue to impact, our revenues. These factors include, but are not limited to: the level of emergency response projects, the general conditions of the oil and gas industries, competitive industry pricing, and the effects of fuel prices on our fuel recovery fees.
Cost of Revenues
Technical Services cost of revenues increased 9.5% , or $12.8 million , in the three months ended March 31, 2012 from the comparable period in 2011 primarily due to increases in salary and labor expenses ($3.7 million), materials for reclaim costs ($2.3 million), chemicals and consumables expenses ($1.5 million), vehicle and equipment repair costs ($1.4 million), materials and supplies costs ($0.6 million), and subcontractor fees ($0.6 million), offset partially by a reduction in outside transportation costs ($1.7 million).
Field Services cost of revenues decreased 4.1% , or $1.7 million , in the three months ended March 31, 2012 from the comparable period in 2011 primarily due to reductions in subcontractor fees ($2.3 million), outside transportation fees ($0.9 million) and materials and supplies costs ($0.6 million), offset partially by increases in labor and related expenses ($1.7 million) and equipment rental fees ($0.7 million).
Industrial Services cost of revenues increased 41.2% , or $31.9 million , in the three months ended March 31, 2012 from the comparable period in 2011 primarily due to increased salary and labor expenses ($13.8 million), material and supplies expenses ($13.0 million), subcontractor fees ($2.7 million), equipment rental fees ($2.2 million), catering costs associated with the increased lodging services revenues ($1.5 million), and vehicle expenses ($1.1 million), offset partially by decreases in lease operator expenses due to buyout of leases ($1.5 million). These increases resulted partially from costs associated with recent acquisitions including Peak in June 2011.
Oil and Gas Field Services cost of revenues increased 76.6% , or $45.0 million , in the three months ended March 31, 2012 from the comparable period in 2011 primarily due to salary and labor expenses ($20.1 million), subcontractor fees ($8.6 million), vehicle expenses ($2.8 million), equipment rental fees ($2.7 million), equipment repair expenses ($2.4 million), materials and supplies costs ($2.0 million), rent expense ($1.9 million), travel costs ($1.8 million), fuel expenses ($0.8 million), and insurance costs ($0.7 million). These increases resulted partially from costs associated with recent acquisitions including Peak in June 2011.

Corporate Items cost of revenues decreased $0.3 million for the three months ended March 31, 2012 , as compared to the same period in 2011 primarily due to a reduction in health insurance related costs, offset partially by increased labor and related costs.

We believe that our ability to manage operating costs is important in our ability to remain price competitive. We continue to upgrade the quality and efficiency of our waste treatment services through the development of new technology and continued modifications and upgrades at our facilities, and implementation of strategic sourcing initiatives. We plan to continue to focus on achieving cost savings relating to purchased goods and services through a strategic sourcing initiative. No assurance can be given that our efforts to reduce future operating expenses will be successful.
Selling, General and Administrative Expenses

31


Technical Services selling, general and administrative expenses increased 24.3% , or $4.2 million , in the three months ended March 31, 2012 from the comparable period in 2011 primarily due to increased salaries and commissions and bonus expense.

Field Services selling, general and administrative expenses increased 24.5% , or $1.3 million , in the three months ended March 31, 2012 from the comparable period in 2011 primarily due to increased salaries and commissions and bonus expense.

Industrial Services selling, general and administrative expenses increased 11.2% , or $0.9 million , in the three months ended March 31, 2012 from the comparable period in 2011 primarily due to increased salaries, commissions and bonus expense.
Oil and Gas Field Services selling, general and administrative expenses increased 111.7% or $5.1 million for the three months ended March 31, 2012 , from the comparable period in 2011 . The increase was primarily due to the recent acquisitions resulting in increases in salaries, commissions and bonus expense, and travel expense.
Corporate Items selling, general and administrative expenses increased 22.4% , or $4.4 million , for the three months ended March 31, 2012 , as compared to the same period in 2011 primarily due to increases in salaries and bonuses ($2.5 million), professional fees ($1.1 million), and stock-based compensation costs ($0.4 million), offset partially by a reduction in severance costs ($0.8 million).
Depreciation and Amortization
Three Months Ended March 31,
(in thousands)
2012
2011
Depreciation of fixed assets
$
29,796

$
20,168

Landfill and other amortization
7,035

5,292

Total depreciation and amortization
$
36,831

$
25,460

Depreciation and amortization increased 44.7% , or $11.4 million , in the first quarter of 2012 compared to the same period in 2011 . Depreciation of fixed assets increased primarily due to acquisitions and other increased capital expenditures in recent periods. Landfill and other amortization increased primarily due to the increase in other intangibles resulting from recent acquisitions.

Interest Expense, Net
Three Months Ended March 31,
(in thousands)
2012
2011
Interest expense
$
11,458

$
6,722

Interest income
(186
)
(244
)
Interest expense, net
$
11,272

$
6,478


Interest expense, net increased $4.8 million in the first quarter of 2012 compared to the same period in 2011 . The increase in interest expense was primarily due to the issuance of $250.0 million in senior secured notes in March 2011 and the amendment of our revolving credit facility in May 2011.

Income Taxes
Our effective tax rate for the three months ended March 31, 2012 was 36.1% , compared to 37.1% for the same period in 2011 . The decrease in the effective tax rate for the three months ended March 31, 2012 was primarily attributable to our ability to utilize currently earned foreign tax credits, reduced interest expense accrued on uncertain tax benefits, and reduced income tax rates for income earned in Canada.
Income tax expense for the three months ended March 31, 2012 increased $4.7 million to $18.1 million from $13.4 million for the comparable period in 2011 . The increased tax expense for the three months ended March 31, 2012 was primarily attributable to our increased revenue and profits as compared to the same period last year.


32


A valuation allowance is required to be established when, based on an evaluation of available evidence, it is more likely than not that some portion or all of the deferred tax assets will not be realized. At March 31, 2012 and December 31, 2011, we had a remaining valuation allowance of $11.5 million. The allowance as of March 31, 2012 and December 31, 2011 consisted of $10.2 million of foreign tax credits, $1.1 million of state net operating loss carryforwards and $0.2 million of foreign net operating loss carryforwards.
Management’s policy is to recognize interest and penalties related to income tax matters as a component of income tax expense. The liability for unrecognized tax benefits and related reserves as of March 31, 2012 and December 31, 2011, included accrued interest and penalties of $27.5 million and $26.8 million, respectively.  Tax expense for each of the three months ended March 31, 2012 and 2011 included interest and penalties of $0.7 million and $0.9 million, respectively.

Liquidity and Capital Resources
Cash and Cash Equivalents
During the three months ended March 31, 2012 , cash and cash equivalents decreased $19.2 million primarily due to the payment in February 2012 of a $19.8 million semi-annual interest payment on our $520.0 million of 7.625% senior secured notes and the payment in March 2012 of approximately $29.7 million for bonuses and commissions earned throughout 2011.

We intend to use our existing cash and cash equivalents, marketable securities and cash flow from operations to provide for our working capital needs, to fund capital expenditures and for potential acquisitions.  We anticipate that our cash flow provided by operating activities will provide the necessary funds on a short- and long-term basis to meet operating cash requirements.
At March 31, 2012 , cash and cash equivalents totaled $241.5 million , compared to $260.7 million at December 31, 2011 . At March 31, 2012 , cash and cash equivalents held by foreign subsidiaries totaled $37.5 million and were readily convertible into other foreign currencies including U.S. dollars. At March 31, 2012 , the cash and cash equivalent balances for our U.S. operations were $204 million . Our U.S. operations had net operating cash outflows from operations of $7.2 million for the three months ended March 31, 2012 . Additionally, we have available a $250.0 million revolving credit facility of which $164.8 million was available to borrow at March 31, 2012 . Based on the above and on our current plans, we believe that our U.S. operations have adequate financial resources to satisfy their liquidity needs without being required to repatriate earnings from foreign subsidiaries. Accordingly, although repatriation to the U.S. of foreign earnings would generally be subject to U.S. income taxation, net of any available foreign tax credits, we have not recorded any deferred tax liability related to such repatriation since we intend to permanently reinvest foreign earnings outside the U.S.

We had accrued environmental liabilities as of March 31, 2012 of approximately $169.1 million , substantially all of which we assumed in connection with our acquisitions of the CSD assets in September 2002, Teris LLC in 2006, and one of the two solvent recycling facilities we purchased from Safety-Kleen Systems, Inc. in 2008. We anticipate our environmental liabilities will be payable over many years and that cash flow from operations will generally be sufficient to fund the payment of such liabilities when required. However, events not anticipated (such as future changes in environmental laws and regulations) could require that such payments be made earlier or in greater amounts than currently anticipated, which could adversely affect our results of operations, cash flow and financial condition.
We assess our liquidity in terms of our ability to generate cash to fund our operating, investing and financing activities. Our primary ongoing cash requirements will be to fund operations, capital expenditures, interest payments and investments in line with our business strategy. We believe our future operating cash flows will be sufficient to meet our future operating and investing cash needs. Furthermore, the existing cash balances and the availability of additional borrowings under our revolving credit facility provide additional potential sources of liquidity should they be required.
Cash Flows for the three months ended March 31, 2012
Cash from operating activities in the first three months of 2012 was $ 29.6 million , an increase of 98.9% , or $ 14.7 million , compared with cash from operating activities in the first three months of 2011. The change was primarily the result of an increase in income from operations.
Cash used for investing activities in the first three months of 2012 was $35.8 million , an increase of 1.6% or $0.6 million , compared with cash used for investing activities in the first three months of 2011.  The change was due primarily from lower year-over-year costs associated with additions to property, plant and equipment offset partially by increases in proceeds from sales of fixed assets.

33


Cash used for financing activities in the first three months of 2012 was $13.8 million , compared with cash from financing activities of $248.6 million in the first three months of 2011. The change was primarily the result of the issuance of $250.0 million aggregate principal amount of 7.625% senior secured notes on March 24, 2011.
Cash Flows for the three months ended March 31, 2011
Cash from operating activities in the first three months of 2011 was $14.9 million, compared with cash used for operating activities of $8.2 million in the first three months of 2010. The change was primarily the result of an increase in income from operations and a smaller net increase in accounts receivable.
Cash used for investing activities in the first three months of 2011 was $35.2 million, an increase of 115.7%, or $18.9 million, compared with cash used for investing activities in the first three months of 2010. The increase resulted primarily from year-over-year higher costs associated with additions to property, plant and equipment and acquisitions.
Cash from financing activities in the first three months of 2011 was $248.6 million, compared with cash used for financing activities of $3.1 million in the first three months of 2010. The change was primarily the result of the issuance of $250.0 million aggregate principal amount of 7.625% senior secured notes on March 24, 2011.

Financing Arrangements
The financing arrangements and principal terms of our $520.0 million principal amount of senior secured notes and the $250.0 million revolving credit facility are discussed further in Note 9, “Financing Arrangements,” in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2011 .
As of March 31, 2012 , we were in compliance with the covenants of our debt agreements, and we believe it is reasonably likely that we will continue to meet such covenants.
Liquidity Impacts of Uncertain Tax Positions
As discussed in Note 10, “Income Taxes,” to our financial statements included in Item 1 of this report, we have recorded as of March 31, 2012 , $36.2 million of unrecognized tax benefits and related reserves and $27.5 million of potential interest and penalties. These liabilities are classified as “unrecognized tax benefits and other long-term liabilities” in our consolidated balance sheets. We are not able to reasonably estimate when we might make any cash payments to settle these liabilities. However, we believe no material cash payments will be required in the next 12 months.

Auction Rate Securities
As of March 31, 2012 , our long-term investments included $4.2 million of available for sale auction rate securities. With the liquidity issues experienced in global credit and capital markets, these auction rate securities have experienced multiple failed auctions and as a result are currently not liquid. The auction rate securities are secured by student loans substantially insured by the Federal Family Education Loan Program, maintain the highest credit rating of AAA, and continue to pay interest according to their stated terms with interest rates resetting generally every 28 days.
We believe we have sufficient liquidity to fund operations and do not plan to sell our auction rate securities in the foreseeable future at an amount below the original purchase value.  In the unlikely event that we need to access the funds that are in an illiquid state, we may not be able to do so without a possible loss of principal until a future auction for these investments is successful, another secondary market evolves for these securities, they are redeemed by the issuer, or they mature. If we were unable to sell these securities in the market or they are not redeemed, we could be required to hold them to maturity. These securities are currently reflected at their fair value utilizing a discounted cash flow analysis or significant other observable inputs. As of March 31, 2012 , we have recorded an unrealized pre-tax loss of $0.5 million , which we assess as temporary. We will continue to monitor and evaluate these investments on an ongoing basis for other than temporary impairment and record an adjustment to earnings if and when appropriate.

34


ITEM 3. QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE DISCLOSURES ABOUT MARKET RISK
In the normal course of business, we are exposed to market risks, including changes in interest rates, certain commodity prices, and certain foreign currency rates, primarily the Canadian dollar. Our philosophy in managing interest rate risk is to borrow at fixed rates for longer time horizons to finance non-current assets and to borrow (to the extent, if any, required) at variable rates for working capital and other short-term needs. We therefore have not entered into derivative or hedging transactions, nor have we entered into transactions to finance off-balance sheet debt. The following table provides information regarding our fixed rate borrowings at March 31, 2012 (in thousands):
Nine Months
Remaining
Scheduled Maturity Dates
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016
Thereafter
Total
Senior secured notes
$

$

$

$

$
520,000

$

$
520,000

Capital lease obligations
6,301

3,865

2,257

348



12,771

$
6,301

$
3,865

$
2,257

$
348

$
520,000

$

$
532,771

Weighted average interest rate on fixed rate borrowings
7.6
%
7.6
%
7.6
%
7.6
%
7.6
%
%

In addition to the fixed rate borrowings described in the above table, we had at March 31, 2012 variable rate instruments that included a revolving credit facility with maximum borrowings of up t o $250.0 million (with a $215.0 million sub-lim it for letters of credit).
We view our investment in our foreign subsidiaries as long-term; thus, we have not entered into any hedging transactions between any two foreign currencies or between any of the foreign currencies and the U.S. dollar. During 2012 , the Canadian subsidiaries transacted approximate ly 2.0% of t heir business in U.S. dollars and at any period end have cash on deposit in U.S. dollars and outstanding U.S. dollar accounts receivable related to these transactions. These cash and receivable accounts are vulnerable to foreign currency translation gains or losses. Exchange rate movements also affect the translation of Canadian generated profits and losses into U.S . dollars. Had the Canadian dollar been 10.0% stronger or weaker against the U.S. dollar, we would have reported increased or decreased net income of $2.5 million and $0.9 million for the three months ended March 31, 2012 and 2011 , respectively.
At March 31, 2012 , $4.2 million of our noncurrent investments were auction rate securities. While we are uncertain as to when the liquidity issues relating to these investments will improve, we believe these issues will not materially impact our ability to fund our working capital needs, capital expenditures, or other business requirements.
We are subject to minimal market risk arising from purchases of commodities since no significant amount of commodities are used in the treatment of hazardous waste or providing energy and industrial services.

ITEM 4. CONTROLS AND PROCEDURES
Evaluation of Disclosure Controls and Procedures
Based on an evaluation under the supervision and with the participation of our management, including our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, as of the end of the period covered by this Quarterly Report, our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer have concluded that our disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”)) were effective as of March 31, 2012 to ensure that information required to be disclosed by us in reports that we file or submit under the Exchange Act is recorded, processed, summarized and reported within the time periods specified in Securities and Exchange Commission rules and forms and is accumulated and communicated to our management, including our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, as appropriate to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure.
Changes in Internal Control over Financial Reporting
There were no changes in the Company’s internal control over financial reporting identified in connection with the evaluation required by paragraph (d) of Exchange Act Rules 13a-15e or 15d-15e that was conducted during the last fiscal quarter that have materially affected, or are reasonably likely to materially affect, the Company’s internal control over financial reporting.

35


CLEAN HARBORS, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

PART II—OTHER INFORMATION

Item 1— Legal Proceedings
See Note 13, “Commitments and Contingencies,” to the financial statements included in Item 1 of this report, which description is incorporated herein by reference.
Item 1A— Risk Factors
During the three months ended March 31, 2012 , there were no material changes from the risk factors as previously disclosed in Item 1A in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2011.
Item 2— Unregistered Sale of Equity Securities and Use of Proceeds None.
Item 3— Defaults Upon Senior Securities None.
Item 4— Mine Safety Disclosures None.
Item 5— Other Information None.
Item 6— Exhibits
Item No.
Description
Location
31.1
Rule 13a-14a/15d-14(a) Certification of the CEO Alan S. McKim
Filed herewith
31.2
Rule 13a-14a/15d-14(a) Certification of the CFO James M. Rutledge
32
Section 1350 Certifications
Filed herewith
101
Interactive Data Files Pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T: Financial statements from the quarterly report on Form 10-Q of Clean Harbors, Inc. for the quarter ended March 31, 2012, formatted in XBRL: (i) Consolidated Balance Sheets, (ii) Unaudited Consolidated Statements of Income, (iii) Unaudited Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows, (iv) Unaudited Consolidated Statements of Stockholders’ Equity, and (v) Notes to Unaudited Consolidated Financial Statements.
*
_______________________
*
These interactive data files are furnished and deemed not filed or part of a registration statement or prospectus for purposes of Sections 11 or 12 of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, are deemed not filed for purposes of Section 18 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and otherwise are not subject to liability under those sections.


36


CLEAN HARBORS, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned thereunto duly authorized.
CLEAN HARBORS, INC.
Registrant
By:
/s/  ALAN S. MCKIM
Alan S. McKim
President and Chief Executive Officer
Date:
May 9, 2012
By:
/s/  JAMES M. RUTLEDGE
James M. Rutledge
Vice Chairman and Chief Financial Officer
Date:
May 9, 2012


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