Company: CLH
Filing Date: 2025-04-30
Form Type: 10-Q
Source: 0000822818-25-000019
Chunk: 121

Company: CLEAN HARBORS INC
Filing Date: 2025-04-30
Form: 10-Q
Item: Part I, Item 2
Chunk 121
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745 (11,870)(10.6)Total environmental liabilities$234,044 $241,533 $(7,489)(3.1)%

Total environmental liabilities as of March 31, 2025 were $234.0 million, a decrease of $7.5 million compared to December 31, 2024. During the three months ended March 31, 2025, the environmental liability balance decreased due to changes in environmental liability estimates of $9.8 million and expenditures of $2.6 million. These decreases were partially offset by accretion of $3.6 million and new environmental liabilities, including those recognized as a result of recent acquisitions, of $1.2 million. The change in environmental liability estimates was primarily driven by a $10 million decrease in the remedial liability for a site based on our conclusion that loss was no longer probable based on recent evaluation of available evidence.

We anticipate our environmental liabilities, substantially all of which we assumed in connection with our acquisitions, 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.

Events not anticipated (such as future changes in environmental laws and regulations) could require that payments to satisfy our environmental liabilities be made earlier or in greater amounts than currently anticipated, which could adversely affect our results of operations, cash flow and financial condition. Conversely, the development of new treatment technologies or other circumstances may arise in the future which may reduce amounts ultimately paid.

Letters of Credit

We obtain standby letters of credit as security for financial assurances we have been required to provide to regulatory bodies for our hazardous waste facilities and which would be called only in the event that we fail to satisfy closure, post-closure and other obligations under the permits issued by those regulatory bodies for such licensed facilities. As of March 31, 2025, there were $137.6 million outstanding letters of credit. See Note 11, “Financing Arrangements,” to the accompanying unaudited consolidated financial statements.

Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates

In the first three months of 2025, there were no material changes to the information provided under the heading “Critical Accounting Estimates” included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2024. For more information regarding our accounting policies, please refer to Note 2, “Significant Accounting Policies” to the accompanying unaudited consolidated financial statements.

ITEM 3.    QUANTITATIVE AND QUALIT