clh-20220504
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UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
 
FORM 8-K
 
CURRENT REPORT
Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of The Securities Exchange Act of 1934
 
Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported): May 4, 2022
 
CLEAN HARBORS, INC.
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
 
Massachusetts
001-34223
04-2997780
(State or other jurisdiction
of incorporation)
(Commission
File Number)
(IRS Employer
Identification No.)
42 Longwater DriveNorwellMA02061-9149
(Address of Principal Executive Offices)(Zip Code)

 Registrant’s telephone number, including area code (781) 792-5000
 
Not Applicable
(Former name or former address, if changed since last report.)
 
Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions:
 
Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425) 
Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12) 
Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b)) 
Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c))

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an emerging growth company as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act of 1933 (§230.405 of this chapter) or Rule 12b-2 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (§240.12b-2 of this chapter).
Emerging growth company
If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act.
Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:
Title of each classTrading Symbol
Name of each exchange on which registered
Common Stock, $0.01 par value
CLH
New York Stock Exchange



Item 2.02 Results of Operations and Financial Condition

On May 4, 2022, Clean Harbors, Inc. (the “Company”) issued a press release announcing the Company’s results of operations for the first quarter ended March 31, 2022. A copy of that press release is furnished with this report as Exhibit 99.1.


Item 9.01    Financial Statements and Exhibits.

(d) Exhibits. The following exhibits are being furnished herewith:

Exhibit No.Description
99.1
104The cover page from this Current Report on Form 8-K, formatted in iXBRL (Inline eXtensible Business Reporting Language)
1


SIGNATURES
    Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities and Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.
 Clean Harbors, Inc.
 (Registrant)
  
  
May 4, 2022/s/ Michael L. Battles
 Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer







2
Document
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EXHIBIT 99.1
Press Release                                            

Clean Harbors Announces First-Quarter 2022 Financial Results

Reports Q1 Revenues of $1.17 Billion with Strong Demand Across Core Businesses
Generates Q1 Net Income of $45.3 Million, or EPS of $0.83
Achieves Q1 Adjusted EBITDA Growth of 39% to $180.3 Million with Margin of 15.4%
Raises 2022 Adjusted EBITDA Guidance

NORWELL, Mass. – May 4, 2022 – Clean Harbors, Inc. (“Clean Harbors”) (NYSE: CLH), the leading provider of environmental and industrial services throughout North America, today announced financial results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2022.

“We opened 2022 with a strong first-quarter on robust demand for our services and sustainable products,” said Alan S. McKim, Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer. “Our record revenue and Adjusted EBITDA in the quarter reflected a continuation of the momentum that supported our business throughout 2021, including demand for our hazardous waste disposal capabilities, industrial services and re-refined products, as well as our October 2021 acquisition of HydroChemPSC (“HPC”). We executed effectively, navigating supply and inflation challenges through a combination of intelligent pricing programs and cost-control initiatives. Most importantly, we achieved a Total Recordable Incident Rate (TRIR) of 0.97 – underscoring the team’s unwavering commitment to safety.”

First-Quarter Results
Revenues increased 45% to $1.17 billion from $808.1 million in the same period of 2021. Income from operations grew 71% to $87.1 million from $50.9 million in the first quarter of 2021.

Net income was $45.3 million, or $0.83 per diluted share. This compared with net income of $21.7 million, or $0.39 per diluted share, for the same period in 2021. Adjusted for certain items in both periods, adjusted net income was $45.4 million, or $0.83 per diluted share, for the first quarter of 2022, compared with adjusted net income of $23.4 million, or $0.42 per diluted share, for the same period of 2021. (See reconciliation tables below).

Adjusted EBITDA (see description below) increased 39% to $180.3 million from $129.5 million in the same period of 2021. There were no benefits from government assistance programs in the first quarter of 2022, compared with a combined $5.4 million in benefits from Canadian and U.S. government programs in the same period of 2021.
Clean Harbors • 42 Longwater Drive • PO Box 9149 • Norwell, Massachusetts 02061-9149 • 800.282.0058 • www.cleanharbors.com

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Q1 2022 Segment Review
Environmental Services (ES) revenues increased 45% year-over-year, reflecting the contribution of HPC, higher volumes in our disposal and recycling facilities, pricing initiatives and steady demand across our service businesses,” McKim said. “Utilization of our incinerator network was 85% in the quarter, up five points from the prior year when utilization was negatively impacted by a deep freeze in the Gulf region. Average incineration pricing was up slightly from a year ago, reflecting the mix of waste in the quarter that included some project volumes. A modest pickup in remediation projects helped increase our landfill volumes by 14%. Safety-Kleen Environmental continued its growth trajectory, increasing 9% through pricing and new business wins across its core service offerings. Our Industrial Services business grew substantially with the addition of HPC, and we exited the quarter with significant momentum into the spring turnaround season.

Safety-Kleen Sustainability Solutions (SKSS) revenues grew 44% while our Adjusted EBITDA rose 64% from a year ago,” McKim said. “Although Q1 is typically a seasonally weaker quarter for SKSS, demand for our base oil and blended products was consistently strong in the quarter. Global supply disruptions led to favorable market dynamics in the U.S. and substantial price increases late in the quarter. In addition to the higher pricing on the back end of our re-refining spread, we continued to actively manage the front end to minimize collection costs while maintaining collection volumes. SKSS collected 53 million gallons of waste oil in the quarter, up 13% from a year ago.”

Business Outlook and Financial Guidance
“We saw steady demand across our key lines of business to start this year; underlying market conditions driving that demand should enable to us to extend – or even accelerate – that momentum in the coming quarters,” McKim said. “Within our disposal network, we have a healthy backlog of volume as evidenced by our record level of deferred revenue at the end of Q1. A robust pipeline of waste project opportunities should support the growing volumes we are experiencing in our base business. Underlying trends such as U.S. regulations, infrastructure spending, chemical manufacturing and reshoring of multiple industries also provide a promising backdrop for our entire Environmental Services segment. As a result, we are continuing to invest in our plants to increase throughput across our network, including constructing a new incinerator in Nebraska. We are also hiring as rapidly as possible to meet demand, while lowering our third-party costs. In Q1, we added a significant number of employees on a net basis and expect to extend our recruitment efforts in the coming quarters.

“Within SKSS, the pricing environment for sustainable base oil and finished lubricant products remains strong, supported by global supply dynamics and the corresponding rise in the value of base oil. We also are continuing to aggressively manage the front end of our re-refining spread. System improvements, greater transportation efficiencies and market-specific pricing are helping counteract rising costs,” McKim concluded. “Not only in SKSS, but across the organization, we are confident that we have pricing and cost reduction strategies in place to offset inflation in 2022. The demand environment is highly favorable across all our core lines of business, and we continue to expect Clean Harbors to deliver strong profitable growth and robust free cash flow this year.”
Clean Harbors • 42 Longwater Drive • PO Box 9149 • Norwell, Massachusetts 02061-9149 • 800.282.0058 • www.cleanharbors.com

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In the second quarter of 2022, Clean Harbors expects Adjusted EBITDA to increase 25% to 30% from the prior- year period, reflecting the addition of HPC and higher profitability in both the ES and SKSS segments.

Based on its first-quarter 2022 performance and current market conditions, Clean Harbors is raising the midpoint of its 2022 Adjusted EBITDA guidance by $35 million. For the year, the Company now expects:
Adjusted EBITDA in the range of $800 million to $830 million. This range is based on anticipated GAAP net income in the range of $225 million to $258 million; and
Adjusted free cash flow in the range of $250 million to $290 million, based on anticipated net cash from operating activities in the range of $560 million to $620 million.

Non-GAAP Results
Clean Harbors reports Adjusted EBITDA, which is a non-GAAP financial measure and should not be considered an alternative to net income or other measurements under generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP), but viewed only as a supplement to those measurements. Adjusted EBITDA is not calculated identically by all companies, and therefore the Company’s measurement of Adjusted EBITDA may not be comparable to similarly titled measures reported by other companies. Clean Harbors believes that Adjusted EBITDA provides additional useful information to investors since the Company’s loan covenants are based upon levels of Adjusted EBITDA achieved and management routinely evaluates the performance of its businesses based upon levels of Adjusted EBITDA. The Company defines Adjusted EBITDA in accordance with its existing revolving credit agreement, as described in the following reconciliation showing the differences between reported net income and Adjusted EBITDA for the three months ended March 31, 2022 and 2021 (in thousands, except percentages):
For the Three Months Ended
March 31, 2022March 31, 2021
Net income$45,314 $21,736 
Accretion of environmental liabilities3,156 2,953 
Stock-based compensation5,712 3,480 
Depreciation and amortization84,298 72,163 
Other (income) expense, net(704)1,228 
Interest expense, net of interest income25,017 17,918 
Provision for income taxes17,466 9,973 
Adjusted EBITDA$180,259 $129,451 
Adjusted EBITDA Margin15.4 %16.0 %
This press release includes a discussion of net income and earnings per share adjusted for the impacts of tax-related valuation allowances and other items as identified in the reconciliations provided below. The Company believes that discussion of these additional non-GAAP measures provides investors with meaningful comparisons of current results to prior periods’ results by excluding items that the Company does not believe reflect its fundamental business performance. The following shows the difference between net income and
Clean Harbors • 42 Longwater Drive • PO Box 9149 • Norwell, Massachusetts 02061-9149 • 800.282.0058 • www.cleanharbors.com

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adjusted net income, and the difference between earnings per share and adjusted earnings per share, for the three months ended March 31, 2022 and 2021 (in thousands, except per share amounts):
For the Three Months Ended
March 31, 2022March 31, 2021
Adjusted net income
Net income$45,314 $21,736 
Tax-related valuation allowances and other114 1,648 
Adjusted net income$45,428 $23,384 
Adjusted earnings per share
Earnings per share$0.83 $0.39 
Tax-related valuation allowances and other— 0.03 
Adjusted earnings per share
$0.83 $0.42 


Adjusted Free Cash Flow Reconciliation
Clean Harbors reports adjusted free cash flow, which it considers to be a measurement of liquidity that provides useful information to investors about its ability to generate cash. The Company defines adjusted free cash flow as net cash from operating activities excluding cash impacts of items derived from non-operating activities, less additions to property, plant and equipment plus proceeds from sale and disposal of fixed assets. The Company excludes cash impacts of items derived from non-operating activities such as taxes paid in connection with divestitures. Adjusted free cash flow should not be considered an alternative to net cash from operating activities or other measurements under GAAP. Adjusted free cash flow is not calculated identically by all companies, and therefore the Company’s measurement of adjusted free cash flow may not be comparable to similarly titled measures reported by other companies.

An itemized reconciliation between net cash (used in) from operating activities and adjusted free cash flow is as follows for the three months ended March 31, 2022 and 2021 (in thousands):
For the Three Months Ended
March 31, 2022March 31, 2021
Adjusted free cash flow
Net cash (used in) from operating activities$(38,629)$103,000 
Additions to property, plant and equipment(70,308)(41,913)
Proceeds from sale and disposal of fixed assets1,320 1,204 
Adjusted free cash flow$(107,617)$62,291 
Clean Harbors • 42 Longwater Drive • PO Box 9149 • Norwell, Massachusetts 02061-9149 • 800.282.0058 • www.cleanharbors.com

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Adjusted EBITDA Guidance Reconciliation
An itemized reconciliation between projected GAAP net income and projected Adjusted EBITDA is as follows (in millions):
For the Year Ending
December 31, 2022
Projected GAAP net income$225to$258
Adjustments:
Accretion of environmental liabilities13 to12 
Stock-based compensation26 to29 
Depreciation and amortization340 to330 
Interest expense, net110 to106 
Provision for income taxes86 to95 
Projected Adjusted EBITDA$800to$830

Adjusted Free Cash Flow Guidance Reconciliation
An itemized reconciliation between projected net cash from operating activities and projected adjusted free cash flow is as follows (in millions):
For the Year Ending
December 31, 2022
Projected net cash from operating activities$560to$620
Additions to property, plant and equipment(320)to(340)
Proceeds from sale and disposal of fixed assets10 to10 
Projected adjusted free cash flow$250to$290

Conference Call Information
Clean Harbors will conduct a conference call for investors today at 9:00 a.m. (ET) to discuss the information contained in this press release. During the call, management will discuss Clean Harbors’ financial results, business outlook and growth strategy. Investors who wish to listen to the webcast and view the accompanying slides should visit the Investor Relations section of the Company’s website at www.cleanharbors.com. The live call also can be accessed by dialing 201.689.8881 or 877.709.8155 prior to the start time. If you are unable to listen to the live conference call, the webcast will be archived on the Company’s website.
About Clean Harbors
Clean Harbors (NYSE: CLH) is North America’s leading provider of environmental and industrial services. The Company serves a diverse customer base, including a majority of Fortune 500 companies. Its customer base spans a number of industries, including chemical, energy and manufacturing, as well as numerous government agencies. These customers rely on Clean Harbors to deliver a broad range of services such as end-to-end hazardous waste management, emergency spill response, industrial cleaning and maintenance, and recycling services. Through its Safety-Kleen subsidiary, Clean Harbors also is North America’s largest re-refiner and recycler of used oil and a leading provider of parts washers and environmental services to commercial, industrial and automotive customers. Founded in 1980 and based in Massachusetts, Clean Harbors operates in the United States, Canada, Mexico, Puerto Rico and India. For more information, visit www.cleanharbors.com.
Clean Harbors • 42 Longwater Drive • PO Box 9149 • Norwell, Massachusetts 02061-9149 • 800.282.0058 • www.cleanharbors.com

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Safe Harbor Statement
Any statements contained herein that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements are generally identifiable by use of the words “believes,” “expects,” “intends,” “anticipates,” “plans to,” “seeks,” “should,” “estimates,” “projects,” “may,” “likely,” or similar expressions. Such statements may include, but are not limited to, statements about future financial and operating results, and other statements that are not historical facts. Such statements are based upon the beliefs and expectations of Clean Harbors’ management as of this date only and are subject to certain risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially, including, without limitation, those items identified as “Risk Factors” in Clean Harbors’ most recently filed Form 10-K and Form 10-Q. Forward-looking statements are neither historical facts nor assurances of future performance. Therefore, readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. Clean Harbors undertakes no obligation to revise or publicly release the results of any revision to these forward-looking statements other than through its filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, which may be viewed in the “Investors” section of Clean Harbors’ website at www.cleanharbors.com.
Contacts:
Michael L. Battles
Jim Buckley
EVP and Chief Financial Officer
SVP Investor Relations
Clean Harbors, Inc.
Clean Harbors, Inc.
781.792.5100
781.792.5100
InvestorRelations@cleanharbors.com
Buckley.James@cleanharbors.com
    
    
    
    
    
Clean Harbors • 42 Longwater Drive • PO Box 9149 • Norwell, Massachusetts 02061-9149 • 800.282.0058 • www.cleanharbors.com

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CLEAN HARBORS, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
UNAUDITED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS
(in thousands, except per share amounts)

 For the Three Months Ended
March 31, 2022March 31, 2021
Revenues$1,169,109 $808,148 
Cost of revenues: (exclusive of items shown separately below)843,389 560,536 
Selling, general and administrative expenses151,173 121,641 
Accretion of environmental liabilities3,156 2,953 
Depreciation and amortization84,298 72,163 
Income from operations87,093 50,855 
Other income (expense), net704 (1,228)
Interest expense, net(25,017)(17,918)
Income before provision for income taxes62,780 31,709 
Provision for income taxes17,466 9,973 
Net income$45,314 $21,736 
Earnings per share:  
Basic$0.83 $0.40 
Diluted$0.83 $0.39 
Shares used to compute earnings per share - Basic54,40854,723
Shares used to compute earnings per share - Diluted54,67255,043


Clean Harbors • 42 Longwater Drive • PO Box 9149 • Norwell, Massachusetts 02061-9149 • 800.282.0058 • www.cleanharbors.com

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CLEAN HARBORS, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
UNAUDITED CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS
(in thousands)
March 31, 2022December 31, 2021
Current assets:  
Cash and cash equivalents$339,584 $452,575 
Short-term marketable securities75,364 81,724 
Accounts receivable, net900,273 792,734 
Unbilled accounts receivable123,945 94,963 
Inventories and supplies264,733 250,692 
Prepaid expenses and other current assets103,349 68,483 
Total current assets1,807,248 1,741,171 
Property, plant and equipment, net1,881,542 1,863,175 
Other assets:
Operating lease right-of-use assets156,811 161,797 
Goodwill1,221,399 1,227,042 
Permits and other intangibles, net633,445 644,912 
Other25,812 15,602 
Total other assets2,037,467 2,049,353 
Total assets$5,726,257 $5,653,699 
Current liabilities:
Current portion of long-term debt$17,535 $17,535 
Accounts payable394,152 359,866 
Deferred revenue90,116 83,749 
Accrued expenses and other current liabilities338,835 391,414 
Current portion of closure, post-closure and remedial liabilities26,393 25,136 
Current portion of operating lease liabilities47,108 47,614 
Total current liabilities914,139 925,314 
Other liabilities: 
Closure and post-closure liabilities, less current portion92,891 87,088 
Remedial liabilities, less current portion106,144 98,752 
Long-term debt, less current portion2,513,944 2,517,024 
Operating lease liabilities, less current portion113,059 117,991 
Deferred tax liabilities312,668 314,853 
Other long-term liabilities80,175 78,790 
Total other liabilities3,218,881 3,214,498 
       Total stockholders’ equity, net
1,593,237 1,513,887 
       Total liabilities and stockholders’ equity
$5,726,257 $5,653,699 
Clean Harbors • 42 Longwater Drive • PO Box 9149 • Norwell, Massachusetts 02061-9149 • 800.282.0058 • www.cleanharbors.com

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CLEAN HARBORS, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
UNAUDITED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS
(in thousands)
For the Three Months Ended
March 31, 2022March 31, 2021
Cash flows (used in) from operating activities:
Net income$45,314 $21,736 
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash (used in) from operating activities:
Depreciation and amortization84,298 72,163 
Allowance for doubtful accounts3,619 2,446 
Amortization of deferred financing costs and debt discount1,561 900 
Accretion of environmental liabilities3,156 2,953 
Changes in environmental liability estimates312 275 
Deferred income taxes2,226 (39)
Other (income) expense, net(704)1,228 
Stock-based compensation5,712 3,480 
Environmental expenditures(3,615)(3,011)
Changes in assets and liabilities, net of acquisitions:
Accounts receivable and unbilled accounts receivable(138,690)(9,703)
Inventories and supplies(13,610)(747)
Other current and non-current assets(32,924)(9,956)
Accounts payable43,001 22,179 
Other current and long-term liabilities(38,285)(904)
Net cash (used in) from operating activities(38,629)103,000 
Cash flows used in investing activities:
Additions to property, plant and equipment(70,308)(41,913)
Proceeds from sale and disposal of fixed assets1,320 1,204 
Acquisitions, net of cash acquired5,000 (22,918)
Additions to intangible assets including costs to obtain or renew permits(321)(505)
Proceeds from sale of available-for-sale securities10,450 20,375 
Purchases of available-for-sale securities(5,002)(42,980)
Net cash used in investing activities(58,861)(86,737)
Cash flows used in financing activities:
Change in uncashed checks(2,295)(6,662)
Tax payments related to withholdings on vested restricted stock(1,831)(3,719)
Repurchases of common stock(3,694)(26,546)
Deferred financing costs paid(291)(137)
Payments on finance leases(3,585)(1,672)
Principal payments on debt(4,384)(1,884)
Net cash used in financing activities(16,080)(40,620)
Effect of exchange rate change on cash579 1,639 
Decrease in cash and cash equivalents(112,991)(22,718)
Cash and cash equivalents, beginning of period452,575 519,101 
Cash and cash equivalents, end of period$339,584 $496,383 

Clean Harbors • 42 Longwater Drive • PO Box 9149 • Norwell, Massachusetts 02061-9149 • 800.282.0058 • www.cleanharbors.com

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Supplemental information:
Cash payments for interest and income taxes:
Interest paid$33,697 $27,507 
Income taxes paid, net of refunds3,121 3,599 
Non-cash investing activities:
Property, plant and equipment accrued11,397 5,108 
Remedial liability assumed in acquisition of property, plant and equipment13,073 — 
ROU assets obtained in exchange for operating lease liabilities7,342 2,305 
ROU assets obtained in exchange for finance lease liabilities4,679 9,205 

Supplemental Segment Data (in thousands)

For the Three Months Ended
RevenueMarch 31, 2022March 31, 2021
Third Party RevenuesIntersegment Revenues (Expense), netDirect RevenuesThird Party RevenuesIntersegment Revenues (Expense), netDirect Revenues
Environmental Services$940,798 $6,647 $947,445 $652,878 $1,724 $654,602 
Safety-Kleen Sustainability Solutions228,239 (6,647)221,592 155,191 (1,724)153,467 
Corporate Items72 — 72 79 — 79 
Total$1,169,109 $— $1,169,109 $808,148 $— $808,148 


For the Three Months Ended
Adjusted EBITDAMarch 31, 2022March 31, 2021
Environmental Services$183,602 $140,254 
Safety-Kleen Sustainability Solutions51,877 31,632 
Corporate Items(55,220)(42,435)
Total$180,259 $129,451 

Clean Harbors • 42 Longwater Drive • PO Box 9149 • Norwell, Massachusetts 02061-9149 • 800.282.0058 • www.cleanharbors.com