| Note 15 - Business Acquisition (Settlement and Release Agreement) (Details) (SEC [Member], USD $) | 0 Months Ended | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Feb. 12, 2013 | Oct. 31, 2011 | Jan. 10, 2012 | |
| Note 15 - Business Acquisition (Settlement and Release Agreement) (Details) [Line Items] | |||
| Payments to Acquire Businesses, Gross | $ 500,000us-gaap_PaymentsToAcquireBusinessesGross | ||
| Escrow Deposit | 2,000,000us-gaap_EscrowDeposit | ||
| Business Combination, Withdrawal from Escrow Following Un-met Conditions | 1,500,000pesi_BusinessCombinationWithdrawalFromEscrowFollowingUnMetConditions | ||
| October Note [Member] | |||
| Note 15 - Business Acquisition (Settlement and Release Agreement) (Details) [Line Items] | |||
| Business Combination, Consideration Transferred, Liabilities Incurred | 2,500,000us-gaap_BusinessCombinationConsiderationTransferredLiabilitiesIncurred / us-gaap_BusinessAcquisitionAxis = pesi_SECMember / us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis = pesi_OctoberNoteMember | ||
| Prinicipal Balance of Promissory Note Cancelled as Part of Legal Settlement Arising from Business Acquisition | 1,460,000pesi_PrinicipalBalanceOfPromissoryNoteCancelledAsPartOfLegalSettlementArisingFromBusinessAcquisition / us-gaap_BusinessAcquisitionAxis = pesi_SECMember / us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis = pesi_OctoberNoteMember | ||
| New Note [Member] | |||
| Note 15 - Business Acquisition (Settlement and Release Agreement) (Details) [Line Items] | |||
| Business Combination, Consideration Transferred, Liabilities Incurred | 230,000us-gaap_BusinessCombinationConsiderationTransferredLiabilitiesIncurred / us-gaap_BusinessAcquisitionAxis = pesi_SECMember / us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis = pesi_NewNoteMember | ||
| Debt Instrument, Term | 2 years | ||
| Debt Instrument, Interest Rate, Stated Percentage | 6.00%us-gaap_DebtInstrumentInterestRateStatedPercentage / us-gaap_BusinessAcquisitionAxis = pesi_SECMember / us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis = pesi_NewNoteMember | ||
| Debt Instrument, Number of Installments | 24pesi_DebtInstrumentNumberOfInstallments / us-gaap_BusinessAcquisitionAxis = pesi_SECMember / us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis = pesi_NewNoteMember | ||
| Debt Instrument, Periodic Payment | $ 10,000us-gaap_DebtInstrumentPeriodicPayment / us-gaap_BusinessAcquisitionAxis = pesi_SECMember / us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis = pesi_NewNoteMember | ||
| Debt Instrument, Date of First Required Payment | Feb. 28, 2013 | ||
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- Definition Represents the withdrawal from an escrow deposit following un-met conditions in a business combination. No definition available. 
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- Definition Represents the number of installments for the debt instrument. No definition available. 
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- Details 
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- Definition Represents the principal balance in a prommisory note that arose as part of a business combination with the business combination then leading to a lawsuit that results in the cancellation of the note. No definition available. 
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- Definition Amount of liabilities incurred by the acquirer as part of consideration transferred in a business combination. Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef 
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- Definition Date the debt agreement requires the first payment to be made, in CCYY-MM-DD format. Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef 
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- Definition Contractual interest rate for funds borrowed, under the debt agreement. Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef 
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- Definition Amount of the required periodic payments including both interest and principal payments. Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef 
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- Definition Period of time between issuance and maturity of debt instrument, in PnYnMnDTnHnMnS' format, for example, 'P1Y5M13D' represents the reported fact of one year, five months, and thirteen days. No definition available. 
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- Definition The designation of funds furnished by a borrower to a lender to assure future payments of the borrower's real estate taxes and insurance obligations with respect to a mortgaged property. Escrow deposits may be made for a variety of other purposes such as earnest money and contingent payments. This element excludes replacement reserves which are an escrow separately provided for within the US GAAP taxonomy. Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef 
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- Definition The cash outflow associated with the acquisition of business during the period. The cash portion only of the acquisition price. Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef 
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- Details 
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- Details 
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