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Commitments and Contingencies - Additional information (Detail) | 3 Months Ended |
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Mar. 31, 2017 USD ($) site Landfill Homeowners | Dec. 31, 2016 USD ($)
Commitments And Contingencies [Line Items] |  |
Approximate number of homeowners' properties adjacent to or near certain of our landfills with agreements guaranteeing market value | Homeowners | 850 |
Number of landfills adjacent to or near homeowners' properties with agreements guaranteeing market value | Landfill | 22 |
Environmental remediation reasonably possible additional losses high estimate | $ 118,000,000 |
Environmental remediation liabilities | $ 243,000,000 |
Number of sites listed on the EPA's NPL for which we have been notified we are a PRP | site | 76 |
Number of owned sites listed on the EPA's NPL for which we have been notified we are a PRP | site | 15 |
Number of non-owned sites listed on the EPA's NPL for which we have been notified we are a PRP | site | 61 |
Approximate percentage of workforce covered by collective bargaining agreements | 20.00% |
2014 Audit [Member] |  |
Commitments And Contingencies [Line Items] |  |
Expected time of completion of IRS audits | 9 months |
2015 Audit [Member] |  |
Commitments And Contingencies [Line Items] |  |
Expected time of completion of IRS audits | 12 months |
2016 Audit [Member] |  |
Commitments And Contingencies [Line Items] |  |
Expected time of completion of IRS audits | 18 months |
2017 Audit [Member] |  |
Commitments And Contingencies [Line Items] |  |
Expected time of completion of IRS audits | 30 months |
Wheelabrator [Member] |  |
Commitments And Contingencies [Line Items] |  |
Maximum future payments regarding guarantees of unconsolidated entities financial obligations | $ 96,000,000 | $ 96,000,000
Operational and financial performance obligations, net liability | 10,000,000 | 11,000,000
San Jacinto Waste Pits [Member] |  |
Commitments And Contingencies [Line Items] |  |
Cost estimate associated with environmental remediation liability | 45,000,000 | $ 46,000,000
Maximum [Member] |  |
Commitments And Contingencies [Line Items] |  |
Dollar threshold for environmental matters requiring disclosure under item 103 of the SEC's Regulation S-K | 100,000 |
Domestic Line of Credit [Member] |  |
Commitments And Contingencies [Line Items] |  |
Credit Facility, aggregate capacity | $ 2,250,000,000 |

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- Definition Approximate number of homeowners properties adjacent to or near certain of our landfills with agreements guaranteeing market value. + References No definition available. + Details
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