Stockholders' Equity	6 Months Ended
Jun. 30, 2017
Equity [Abstract]
Stockholders' Equity	Stockholders' Equity Stock Repurchase On May 5, 2017, the Company’s Board of Directors ("Board") authorized the commencement of a modified Dutch Auction tender offer ("Tender Offer") to purchase for cash up to 925,000 shares of the Company's common stock at a price per share of not less than $9.40 nor greater than $10.80, for a maximum aggregate purchase price of $10.0 million, with an option to purchase an additional 2% of the outstanding shares of common stock if the Tender Offer was oversubscribed. The Tender Offer expired on June 6, 2017 and a total of 2,858,425 shares were validly tendered and not properly withdrawn at or below the final purchase price of $9.40 per share. Because the tender offer was oversubscribed, the Company purchased a prorated portion of the shares properly tendered by each tendering stockholder (other than "odd lot" holders whose shares were purchased on a priority basis) at the final per share purchase price. Accordingly, the Company acquired 1,370,891 shares of its common stock ("Tendered Shares") at a price of $9.40 per share, for a total cost of approximately $12.9 million, excluding fees and other expenses related to the tender offer. The Tendered Shares represented approximately 6.2% of the Company's outstanding shares prior to the tender offer. The Tendered Shares include the 925,000 shares the Company initially offered to purchase and 445,891 additional shares that the Company elected to purchase pursuant to its right to purchase up to an additional 2% of its outstanding shares of common stock. The Company recorded the Tendered Shares at cost, which included fees and expenses related to the Tender Offer, and reported the Tendered Shares as Treasury Stock in the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheet as of June 30, 2017. The Company’s Board and executive officers did not participate in the Tender Offer, except for one director of the Board, who is a manager of a financial institution and holds dispositive powers over the shares of the Company's common stock held by the financial institution, which tendered 70,178 of its shares of the Company's common stock in order to continue to own less than 4.99% of the outstanding shares of the Company's common stock upon the expiration of the Tender Offer. Quarterly Cash Dividend On June 14, 2017, the Board declared a quarterly cash dividend (the "Dividend") of $0.25 per share on the outstanding shares of the Company’s common stock to the stockholders of record as of the close of business on June 28, 2017. The total amount of the Dividend was $5.3 million and was accrued as of June 30, 2017. The Dividend is included in both Other current liabilities and Other long-term liabilities on the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheet as of June 30, 2017, of which $5.2 million was paid on July 17, 2017 (the "Payment Date"). A portion of the Dividend remains accrued subsequent to the Payment Date, is included in Other long-terms liabilities as of June 30, 2017, and represents dividends accumulated on nonvested shares of common stock held by employees of the Company that contain forfeitable dividend rights that are not payable until the underlying shares vest. Tax Asset Protection Plan On May 5, 2017, the Board approved a Tax Asset Protection Plan designed to protect the Company’s ability to utilize its net operating losses and tax credits, which totaled approximately $113 million as of December 31, 2016. United States federal income tax rules, and Section 382 of the Internal Revenue Code in particular, could substantially limit the use of net operating losses and other tax assets if ADES experiences an “ownership change” (as defined in the Internal Revenue Code). In general, an ownership change occurs if there is a cumulative change in the ownership of ADES by "5 percent stockholders" that exceeds 50 percentage points over a rolling three-year period. The Tax Asset Protection Plan is intended to act as a deterrent to any person acquiring beneficial ownership of 4.99% or more of the Company’s outstanding common stock and will expire on the earlier of (a) May 4, 2018, or (b) the date of the 2018 Annual Meeting of Stockholders. The Tax Asset Protection Plan may also be terminated earlier in accordance with the terms thereof.

Stockholders' Equity

Stock Repurchase

On May 5, 2017, the Company’s Board of Directors ("Board") authorized the commencement of a modified Dutch Auction tender offer ("Tender Offer") to purchase for cash up to 925,000 shares of the Company's common stock at a price per share of not less than $9.40 nor greater than $10.80, for a maximum aggregate purchase price of $10.0 million, with an option to purchase an additional 2% of the outstanding shares of common stock if the Tender Offer was oversubscribed. The Tender Offer expired on June 6, 2017 and a total of 2,858,425 shares were validly tendered and not properly withdrawn at or below the final purchase price of $9.40 per share.

Because the tender offer was oversubscribed, the Company purchased a prorated portion of the shares properly tendered by each tendering stockholder (other than "odd lot" holders whose shares were purchased on a priority basis) at the final per share purchase price. Accordingly, the Company acquired 1,370,891 shares of its common stock ("Tendered Shares") at a price of $9.40 per share, for a total cost of approximately $12.9 million, excluding fees and other expenses related to the tender offer. The Tendered Shares represented approximately 6.2% of the Company's outstanding shares prior to the tender offer. The Tendered Shares include the 925,000 shares the Company initially offered to purchase and 445,891 additional shares that the Company elected to purchase pursuant to its right to purchase up to an additional 2% of its outstanding shares of common stock. The Company recorded the Tendered Shares at cost, which included fees and expenses related to the Tender Offer, and reported the Tendered Shares as Treasury Stock in the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheet as of June 30, 2017.

The Company’s Board and executive officers did not participate in the Tender Offer, except for one director of the Board, who is a manager of a financial institution and holds dispositive powers over the shares of the Company's common stock held by the financial institution, which tendered 70,178 of its shares of the Company's common stock in order to continue to own less than 4.99% of the outstanding shares of the Company's common stock upon the expiration of the Tender Offer.

Quarterly Cash Dividend

On June 14, 2017, the Board declared a quarterly cash dividend (the "Dividend") of $0.25 per share on the outstanding shares of the Company’s common stock to the stockholders of record as of the close of business on June 28, 2017. The total amount of the Dividend was $5.3 million and was accrued as of June 30, 2017. The Dividend is included in both Other current liabilities and Other long-term liabilities on the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheet as of June 30, 2017, of which $5.2 million was paid on July 17, 2017 (the "Payment Date"). A portion of the Dividend remains accrued subsequent to the Payment Date, is included in Other long-terms liabilities as of June 30, 2017, and represents dividends accumulated on nonvested shares of common stock held by employees of the Company that contain forfeitable dividend rights that are not payable until the underlying shares vest.

Tax Asset Protection Plan

On May 5, 2017, the Board approved a Tax Asset Protection Plan designed to protect the Company’s ability to utilize its net operating losses and tax credits, which totaled approximately $113 million as of December 31, 2016.

United States federal income tax rules, and Section 382 of the Internal Revenue Code in particular, could substantially limit the use of net operating losses and other tax assets if ADES experiences an “ownership change” (as defined in the Internal Revenue Code). In general, an ownership change occurs if there is a cumulative change in the ownership of ADES by "5 percent stockholders" that exceeds 50 percentage points over a rolling three-year period.

The Tax Asset Protection Plan is intended to act as a deterrent to any person acquiring beneficial ownership of 4.99% or more of the Company’s outstanding common stock and will expire on the earlier of (a) May 4, 2018, or (b) the date of the 2018 Annual Meeting of Stockholders. The Tax Asset Protection Plan may also be terminated earlier in accordance with the terms thereof.