| Note 11 - Accrued Closure Costs and Asset Retirement Obligations ("ARO") (Details) (USD $) | 12 Months Ended | 
|---|---|
| Dec. 31, 2013 | |
| Asset Retirement Obligation Disclosure [Abstract] | |
| Restructuring Reserve Adjustment To Pretax Loss | $ (448,000)pesi_RestructuringReserveAdjustmentToPretaxLoss | 
| X | ||||||||||
| 
- Definition Impact to pretax loss from adjustment to closure obligation. No definition available. 
 | 
| X | ||||||||||
| 
- Details 
 |