Quarterly report pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d)

Cover
- Document And Entity Information
Financial Statements
Notes to Financial Statements
Accounting Policies
- Significant Accounting Policies (Policies)
Notes Tables
Notes Details

Note 7 - Commitments and Contingencies (Details Textual)

v3.4.0.3

Note 7 - Commitments and Contingencies (Details Textual) - USD ($)		1 Months Ended	3 Months Ended		60 Months Ended
	Aug. 31, 2007	Jun. 30, 2003	Mar. 31, 2016	Mar. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2015
American International Group, Inc [Member] \| Other Noncurrent Assets [Member] \| Perma-Fix Northwest Richland, Inc [Member]
Sinking Fund Related to Second Insurance Policy			$ 5,922,000
American International Group, Inc [Member] \| Other Noncurrent Assets [Member]
Sinking Fund Related to Insurance Policy			15,474,000
American International Group, Inc [Member] \| Perma-Fix Northwest Richland, Inc [Member] \| Minimum [Member]
Renewal Fee for Additional Year under Second Insurance Policy					$ 41,000
American International Group, Inc [Member] \| Perma-Fix Northwest Richland, Inc [Member] \| Maximum [Member]
Renewal Fee for Additional Year under Second Insurance Policy					$ 46,000
American International Group, Inc [Member] \| Perma-Fix Northwest Richland, Inc [Member]
Interest Income, Other			2,000	$ 1,000
Financial Assurance Coverage Amount under Second Insurance Policy	$ 7,800,000
Annual Growth Rate of Financial Assurance Coverage Amount Under Second Insurance Policy	1.50%
Maximum Financial Assurance Coverage Amount Under Second Insurance Policy	$ 8,200,000
Interest Earned on Sinking Fund under Second Insurance Policy			$ 222,000
Period of Finite Second Insurance Policy			4 years
American International Group, Inc [Member]
Period of Finite Risk Insurance Policy		25 years
Maximum Allowable Coverage of Insurance Policy			$ 39,000,000
Financial Assurance Coverage Amount under Insurance Policy			38,874,000
Interest Earned on Sinking Fund			1,003,000
Interest Income, Other			14,000	$ 6,000
Insurers Obligation to Entity on Termination of Contract					100.00%
Bonds and Letters of Credit Outstanding Amount			$ 1,539,000

- Definition

Represents the annual growth rate of financial assurance coverage amount under second insurance policy.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	pesi_AnnualGrowthRateOfFinancialAssuranceCoverageAmountUnderSecondInsurancePolicy
Namespace Prefix:	pesi_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

The total amount of bonds and letters of credit outstanding as of the reporting date.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	pesi_BondsAndLettersOfCreditOutstandingAmount
Namespace Prefix:	pesi_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Represents the financial assurance coverage amount under insurance policy.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	pesi_FinancialAssuranceCoverageAmountUnderInsurancePolicy
Namespace Prefix:	pesi_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Represents the financial assurance coverage amount under second insurance policy.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	pesi_FinancialAssuranceCoverageAmountUnderSecondInsurancePolicy
Namespace Prefix:	pesi_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Insurer's obligation to entity on termination of contract in terms of percentage of sinking fund.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	pesi_InsurersObligationToEntityOnTerminationOfContract
Namespace Prefix:	pesi_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Represents the interest earned on sinking fund.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	pesi_InterestEarnedOnSinkingFund
Namespace Prefix:	pesi_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Represents the interest earned on sinking fund under second insurance policy.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	pesi_InterestEarnedOnSinkingFundUnderSecondInsurancePolicy
Namespace Prefix:	pesi_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Maximum allowable coverage of insurance policy against annual inflation and other performance and surety bond requirements.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	pesi_MaximumAllowableCoverageOfInsurancePolicy
Namespace Prefix:	pesi_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Represents the maximum financial assurance coverage amount under second insurance policy.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	pesi_MaximumFinancialAssuranceCoverageAmountUnderSecondInsurancePolicy
Namespace Prefix:	pesi_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Represents the period of finite risk insurance policy.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	pesi_PeriodOfFiniteRiskInsurancePolicy
Namespace Prefix:	pesi_
Data Type:	xbrli:durationItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Represents the period of finite second insurance policy.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	pesi_PeriodOfFiniteSecondInsurancePolicy
Namespace Prefix:	pesi_
Data Type:	xbrli:durationItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Represents the renewal fee for additional year under second insurance policy.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	pesi_RenewalFeeForAdditionalYearUnderSecondInsurancePolicy
Namespace Prefix:	pesi_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Represents the sinking fund related to the insurance policy.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	pesi_SinkingFundRelatedToInsurancePolicy
Namespace Prefix:	pesi_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Represents the sinking fund related to the second insurance policy.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	pesi_SinkingFundRelatedToSecondInsurancePolicy
Namespace Prefix:	pesi_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Amount of interest income earned from interest bearing assets classified as other.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_InterestIncomeOther
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_CounterpartyNameAxis=pesi_AmericanInternationalGroupIncMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_BalanceSheetLocationAxis=us-gaap_OtherNoncurrentAssetsMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentByTypeAxis=pesi_PermaFixNorthwestRichlandIncMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_RangeAxis=us-gaap_MinimumMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_RangeAxis=us-gaap_MaximumMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type: