Company: CLH
Filing Date: 2025-02-19
Form Type: 10-K
Source: 0000822818-25-000007
Chunk: 153

Company: CLEAN HARBORS INC
Filing Date: 2025-02-19
Form: 10-K
Item: Item 1
Chunk 153
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 operate and expand our facilities.

Our operations and those of others in the environmental services industry are subject to extensive federal, state, provincial and local environmental requirements in both the United States and Canada, including those outlined in the 

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“Government Regulations” section in Item 1 of this report on Form 10-K. If we fail to comply with regulations governing the transport, handling and disposal of hazardous materials, such failure could negatively impact our ability to collect, process and ultimately dispose of hazardous waste generated by our customers. Efforts to conduct our operations in compliance with all applicable laws and regulations, require programs to promote compliance, such as training employees and customers, purchasing health and safety equipment and in some cases hiring outside consultants and lawyers. Even with these programs, we and other companies in the environmental services industry are routinely faced with government enforcement proceedings, which can result in fines or other sanctions and require expenditures for remedial work on waste management facilities and contaminated sites. Certain of these laws impose strict and, under certain circumstances, joint and several liability on current and former owners and operators of facilities that release regulated materials or that generate those materials and arrange for their disposal or treatment at contaminated sites. Such liabilities can relate to required cleanup of releases of regulated materials and related natural resource damages. 

From time to time, fines and/or penalties have been levied upon the Company in government environmental enforcement proceedings. Such fines typically have related to our waste treatment, storage and disposal operations. Although none of these fines or penalties that we have paid in the past have had a material adverse effect upon us, future fines and penalties may be more substantial. Further, in the future we may be required to make substantial capital expenditures as a result of government proceedings which would have a negative impact on our financial condition, cash flow and results of operations. Regulators also have the power to suspend or revoke permits or licenses needed for operation of our plants, equipment and vehicles based on, among other factors, our compliance record, and customers may decide not to use a particular disposal facility or do business with us because of concerns about our compliance record. Suspension or revocation of permits or licenses would impact our operations and could have a material impact on our financial results. Although we have never had any of our facilities’ operating permits revoked, suspended or non-renewed involuntarily, it is possible that such an event could occur in the future.

Some environmental laws and regulations impose liability and responsibility on present and former owners, operators or users of facilities and sites for contamination at such facilities and sites without regard