Annual report pursuant to section 13 and 15(d)

DESCRIPTION OF BUSINESS AND BASIS OF PRESENTATION

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DESCRIPTION OF BUSINESS AND BASIS OF PRESENTATION
12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2013
DESCRIPTION OF BUSINESS AND BASIS OF PRESENTATION [Abstract]  
DESCRIPTION OF BUSINESS AND BASIS OF PRESENTATION
NOTE 1
DESCRIPTION OF BUSINESS AND BASIS OF PRESENTATION

Perma-Fix Environmental Services, Inc. (the Company, which may be referred to as we, us, or our), an environmental and technology know-how company, is a Delaware corporation, engaged through its subsidiaries, in two reportable segments:

TREATMENT SEGMENT, which includes:
 
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nuclear, low-level radioactive, mixed waste (containing both hazardous and low-level radioactive constituents), hazardous and non-hazardous waste treatment, processing and disposal services primarily through four uniquely licensed and permitted treatment and storage facilities; and
 
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research and development activities to identify, develop and implement innovative waste processing techniques for problematic waste streams.

SERVICES SEGMENT, which includes:
 
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On-site waste management services to commercial and government customers;
 
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Technical services, which include:
o professional radiological measurement and site survey of large government and commercial installations using advanced methods, technology and engineering;
o integrated Occupational Safety and Health services including industrial hygiene (“IH”) assessments; hazardous materials surveys, e.g., exposure monitoring; lead and asbestos management/abatement oversight; indoor air quality evaluations; health risk and exposure assessments; health & safety plan/program development, compliance auditing and training services; and Occupational Safety and Health Administration (“OSHA”) citation assistance;
o global technical services providing consulting, engineering, project management, waste management, environmental, and decontamination and decommissioning field, technical, and management personnel and services to commercial and government customers; and
o augmented engineering services (through our Schreiber, Yonley & Associates subsidiary – “SYA”) providing consulting environmental services to industrial and government customers:
§ including air, water, and hazardous waste permitting, air, soil and water sampling, compliance reporting, emission reduction strategies, compliance auditing, and various compliance and training activities; and
§ engineering and compliance support to other segments;
 
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Nuclear services, which include:
o technology-based services including engineering, decontamination and decommissioning (“D&D”), specialty services and construction, logistics, transportation, processing and disposal;
o remediation of nuclear licensed and federal facilities and the remediation cleanup of nuclear legacy sites. Such services capability includes: project investigation; radiological engineering; partial and total plant D&D; facility decontamination, dismantling, demolition, and planning; site restoration; site construction; logistics; transportation; and emergency response; and
 
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A company owned equipment calibration and maintenance laboratory that services, maintains, calibrates, and sources (i.e., rental) of health physics, IH and customized nuclear, environmental, and occupational safety and health (“NEOSH”) instrumentation.

Our consolidated financial statements include our accounts and the accounts of our wholly-owned subsidiaries as follows:
 
Continuing Operations:  Diversified Scientific Services, Inc. (“DSSI”), East Tennessee Materials & Energy Corporation (“M&EC”), Perma-Fix of Florida, Inc. (“PFF”), Perma-Fix of Northwest Richland, Inc. (“PFNWR”), Schreiber, Yonley & Associates (“SYA”), Safety & Ecology Corporation (“SEC”), Perma-Fix Environmental Services UK Limited (“Perma-Fix UK Limited” - a United Kingdom facility), Perma-Fix of Canada, and SEC Radcon Alliance, LLC (“SECRA”).
 
Discontinued Operations (See “Note 7”):  Perma-Fix of Fort Lauderdale, Inc. (“PFFL” – divested in August 2011), Perma-Fix of South Georgia, Inc. (“PFSG” – held for sale), Perma-Fix of Orlando (“PFO” – divested in October 2011), Perma-Fix of Maryland (“PFMD” – divested in January 2008), Perma-Fix of Dayton, Inc. (“PFD” - divested in March 2008), and Perma-Fix Treatment Services, Inc. (“PFTS” – divested in May 2008).  Our discontinued operations also include Perma-Fix of Michigan, Inc. (“PFMI”) and Perma-Fix of Memphis, Inc. (“PFM”), two non-operational facilities.

Reverse Stock Split
The Company effected a reverse stock split at a ratio of 1-for-5 of the Company’s then outstanding Common Stock (“Common Stock”), and shares of Common Stock issuable upon exercise of the then outstanding stock options and warrants, effective as of 12:01 a.m. on October 15, 2013.  As a result of the reverse stock split, each five shares of the outstanding Common Stock and shares held in treasury were combined into one share of Common Stock without any change to the par value per share.  The reverse stock split did not affect the number of authorized shares of Common Stock which remains at 75,000,000.  As a result of this reverse stock split, all references in the financial statements and notes thereto to the number of shares outstanding, per share amounts, and outstanding stock option and warrant data of the Company’s Common Stock have been restated to reflect the effect of the stock split for all periods presented.

The primary reason for implementing this reverse stock split was to increase the market price per share of our Common Stock in order to regain compliance with the NASDAQ’s continued listing criteria related to Minimum Bid Price Rule.  On October 29, 2013, we received a letter from the NASDAQ Stock Market indicating that we had regained compliance with the minimum bid price requirement under NASDAQ Listing Rule 5550(a)(2) for continued listing on the NASDAQ Capital Market.  The Company’s Common Stock continues to be listed on the NASDAQ Capital Market.

Financial Position and Liquidity
During the years ended December 31, 2013 and 2012, the Company incurred net losses of $36,039,000 and $3,179,000, respectively, and net cash used in operating activities was $2,716,000 and $3,409,000, respectively.  Our net loss for 2013 included approximately $27,856,000 in goodwill impairment charges recorded for three of our four reporting units and a charge to tax expense of approximately $4,760,000 ($3,596,000 for our continuing operations and $1,164,000 for our discontinued operations) to provide a full valuation allowance on our net deferred tax assets.  As of December 31, 2013, we have a deficit in working capital of $2,958,000, an accumulated deficit of $55,078,000 and cash on hand of $333,000.  Revenues for fiscal years 2013 and 2012 were $74,413,000 and $127,509,000, respectively, and were below our expectations and internal forecasts as a result, in large part, of the government sequestration, federal governmental clients operating under reduced budgets, the government shutdown of approximately 16 days in October 2013, ending of contracts, and general adverse economic conditions.  Our revenue during the year ended December 31, 2013 was insufficient to attain profitable operations and generated negative operating cash flow from operations. We did not meet the minimum quarterly fixed charge coverage ratio requirement under our credit facility for the first and fourth quarters of 2013; however, we obtained a waiver from our lender for each of these quarters for the non-compliance. Our lender has waived our fixed charge coverage ratio testing requirement for the first quarter of 2014 and made certain revisions to our quarterly fixed charge coverage ratio testing requirements for the remaining quarters of 2014. (See "Note 8 - Long Term Debt" and "Note 18 - Subsequent Events - Waivers and Revisions from PNC Bank, National Association" for waivers received and revisions made to our fixed charge coverage ratio for 2014 and other matters). Based on these revisions above, we expect to meet our quarterly fixed charge coverage ratio requirement in each of the second to fourth quarters of 2014. If we fail to meet the minimum quarterly fixed charge coverage ratio requirement in any of the quarters starting with the second quarter in 2014 and PNC does not waive the non-compliance or further revise our covenant so that we are in compliance, our lender could accelerate the repayment of borrowings under our credit facility.  In the event that our lender accelerates the payment of our borrowings, we may not have sufficient liquidity to repay our debt under our credit facility and other indebtedness.
 
The Company’s cash flow requirements during 2013 have been financed by cash on hand, operations, our credit facility, and debt financing.  The Company is continually reviewing operating costs and is committed to further reducing operating costs to bring them in line with revenue levels.

Our ability to achieve and maintain profitability is dependent upon our ability to successfully raise additional capital and develop our business plans that will generate profitable revenues. The Company continues to explore all sources of increasing revenue.  If the Company is unable in the near term to raise capital on commercially reasonable terms or increase revenue, it may not have sufficient cash to sustain its operations for the next twelve months.  As a result, the Company may be forced to further reduce or even curtail its operations.  These factors raise substantial doubt about the Company’s ability to continue as a going concern. We obtained a waiver from the Company's lender which waived the requirement by our lender that the Company's consolidated financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2013, be issued without a going concern qualification. (See "Note 18 - Subsequent Events - Waivers and Revisions from PNC Bank, National Association" for further information of this waiver along with other matters). The accompanying financial statements do not include any adjustments that might be necessary if the Company is unable to continue as a going concern.
 
The Company continues to focus on expansion into both commercial and international markets to help offset the uncertainties of government spending in the USA.  This includes new services, new customers and increased market share in our current markets.  Although no assurances can be given, we believe we will be able to successfully implement this plan.  In January 2014, the fiscal year 2014 Omnibus spending bill was approved by Congress and the President.  This budget, the first approved in several years, restores federal government funding cuts instituted in 2013 from sequestration and allows for new spending on projects that was not allowed under Continuing Resolutions (“CR”).