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FINAL CAPPING, CLOSURE AND POST-CLOSURE COSTS
 12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2024
Asset Retirement Obligation Disclosure [Abstract]  
FINAL CAPPING, CLOSURE AND POST-CLOSURE COSTS FINAL CAPPING, CLOSURE AND POST-CLOSURE COSTS
Accrued final capping, closure and post-closure costs include the current and non-current portion of costs associated with obligations for final capping closure and post-closure of our landfills. We estimate our future final capping, closure and post-closure costs in order to determine the final capping, closure and post-closure expense per ton of waste placed into each landfill as further described in Note 3, Summary of Significant Accounting Policies. The anticipated time frame for paying these costs varies based on the remaining useful life of each landfill, as well as the duration of the post-closure monitoring period.
The changes to accrued final capping, closure and post-closure liabilities are as follows:
Fiscal Year Ended
December 31,
20242023
Beginning balance$133,904 $113,678 
Obligations incurred7,093 5,447 
Revisions in estimates (1)
29,537 14,030 
Accretion expense11,350 9,529 
Obligations settled (2)
(8,765)(11,801)
(Recovery) write-off of capping payments (3)
(889)3,021 
Ending balance$172,230 $133,904 
(1)Relates to changes in estimates and assumptions concerning anticipated waste flow, costs, including as a result of higher inflation, and timing of future final capping, closure and post-closure activities at our landfills. Fiscal year 2024 includes $8,385 related to the revision in estimates of the post-closure liability for the Town of Southbridge, Massachusetts landfill (“Southbridge Landfill”), related to the final closure permit. See Note 17, Other Items and Charges for further disclosure over the Southbridge Landfill revision.
(2)May include amounts paid and amounts that are being processed through accounts payable as a part of our disbursement cycle.
(3)Relates to the write-off of historical payments associated with capping work that was deemed no longer viable due to a veneer failure at the Ontario County Landfill, which we operate, that occurred in fiscal year 2023, and subsequent partial recovery in fiscal year 2024 after an engineering evaluation determined that a portion of the affected area was still viable. See Note 17, Other Items and Charges for additional disclosure.