Company: CLH
Filing Date: 2025-02-19
Form Type: 10-K
Source: 0000822818-25-000007
Chunk: 35

Company: CLEAN HARBORS INC
Filing Date: 2025-02-19
Form: 10-K
Item: Item 1
Chunk 35
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 payment of such liabilities when required. Though we have the ability to perform much of the required remediation efforts internally, which helps to limit the cost exposure, events not now anticipated (including future changes in environmental laws and regulations) could require that such payments be made earlier or in greater amounts than we now estimate, which could adversely affect our financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.

We may also assume additional environmental liabilities as part of future acquisitions. Although we will endeavor to accurately estimate and limit environmental liabilities presented by the businesses or facilities to be acquired, some liabilities, including ones that may exist only because of the past operations of an acquired business or facility, may prove to be more difficult or costly to address than we then estimate. It is also possible that government officials responsible for enforcing environmental laws may believe an environmental liability is more significant than we then estimate, or that we will fail to identify or fully appreciate an existing liability before we become legally responsible to address it.

The hazardous waste management industry is subject to significant economic and business risks.

The future operating results may be affected by such factors as our ability to utilize our facilities and workforce profitably in the face of price competition, maintain or increase market share in an industry which has in the past experienced significant downsizing and consolidation, realize benefits from cost reduction programs, collect incremental volumes of waste to be handled through our facilities from existing and acquired sales offices and service centers, obtain sufficient volumes of waste at prices which produce revenue sufficient to offset the operating costs of our facilities, minimize downtime and disruptions of operations and develop our field services business. In particular, economic downturns or recessionary conditions in North America, and increased outsourcing by North American manufacturers to plants located in countries with lower wage costs and less stringent environmental regulations, have adversely affected and may in the future adversely affect the demand for our services. Our business is also cyclical to the extent that it is dependent upon a stream of waste from cyclical industries such as chemical and petrochemical. If those cyclical industries slow significantly, the business that we receive from them would likely decrease.

A significant portion of our business depends upon the demand for emergency response services at industrial facilities or on our roadways, railways or waterways, and other remedial projects and regulatory developments over which we have no control.

Our operations, specifically within the Environmental Services segment, can be affected by the commencement and completion of cleanup of major spills and other events, customers’ decisions to undertake remedial projects, seasonal fluctuations due to weather and budgetary cycles influencing the timing of customers'