Annual report pursuant to Section 13 and 15(d)

Note 2 - Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Details)

v2.4.1.9
Note 2 - Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Details) (USD $)
12 Months Ended 0 Months Ended 3 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2014
Dec. 31, 2013
Oct. 01, 2014
Oct. 01, 2013
Jul. 29, 2014
Sep. 30, 2014
Note 2 - Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Details) [Line Items]            
Percentage Of Reserves For Doubtful Accounts Receivable 100.00%pesi_PercentageOfReservesForDoubtfulAccountsReceivable          
Contract Receivable Retainage $ 11,000us-gaap_ContractReceivableRetainage $ 135,000us-gaap_ContractReceivableRetainage        
Depreciation 3,602,000us-gaap_Depreciation 3,381,000us-gaap_Depreciation        
Goodwill, Impairment Loss 380,000us-gaap_GoodwillImpairmentLoss 27,856,000us-gaap_GoodwillImpairmentLoss        
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets, Net 1,967,000us-gaap_FiniteLivedIntangibleAssetsNet          
Self Insurance Reserve, Current 397,000us-gaap_SelfInsuranceReserveCurrent 473,000us-gaap_SelfInsuranceReserveCurrent        
SelfInsurance Expenses For Continuing Operations 2,697,000pesi_SelfInsuranceExpensesForContinuingOperations 2,906,000pesi_SelfInsuranceExpensesForContinuingOperations        
Equity Option [Member]            
Note 2 - Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Details) [Line Items]            
Antidilutive Securities Excluded from Computation of Earnings Per Share, Amount (in Shares) 201,000us-gaap_AntidilutiveSecuritiesExcludedFromComputationOfEarningsPerShareAmount
/ us-gaap_AntidilutiveSecuritiesExcludedFromComputationOfEarningsPerShareByAntidilutiveSecuritiesAxis
= us-gaap_StockOptionMember
339,000us-gaap_AntidilutiveSecuritiesExcludedFromComputationOfEarningsPerShareAmount
/ us-gaap_AntidilutiveSecuritiesExcludedFromComputationOfEarningsPerShareByAntidilutiveSecuritiesAxis
= us-gaap_StockOptionMember
       
Building and Building Improvements [Member] | Minimum [Member]            
Note 2 - Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Details) [Line Items]            
Property, Plant and Equipment, Useful Life 10 years          
Building and Building Improvements [Member] | Maximum [Member]            
Note 2 - Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Details) [Line Items]            
Property, Plant and Equipment, Useful Life 40 years          
Furniture and Fixtures [Member] | Minimum [Member]            
Note 2 - Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Details) [Line Items]            
Property, Plant and Equipment, Useful Life 3 years          
Furniture and Fixtures [Member] | Maximum [Member]            
Note 2 - Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Details) [Line Items]            
Property, Plant and Equipment, Useful Life 7 years          
PFSF Facility Fire Damage [Member]            
Note 2 - Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Details) [Line Items]            
Asset Impairment Charges 723,000us-gaap_AssetImpairmentCharges
/ us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentByTypeAxis
= pesi_PFSFFacilityFireDamageMember
130,000us-gaap_AssetImpairmentCharges
/ us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentByTypeAxis
= pesi_PFSFFacilityFireDamageMember
       
Workers Compensation [Member]            
Note 2 - Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Details) [Line Items]            
Escrow Deposit 35,000us-gaap_EscrowDeposit
/ us-gaap_RestrictedCashAndCashEquivalentsCashAndCashEquivalentsAxis
= pesi_WorkersCompensationMember
         
SYA [Member]            
Note 2 - Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Details) [Line Items]            
Escrow Deposit         50,000us-gaap_EscrowDeposit
/ us-gaap_RestrictedCashAndCashEquivalentsCashAndCashEquivalentsAxis
= pesi_SYAMember
 
Federal Government [Member] | Sales Revenue, Services, Net [Member] | Customer Concentration Risk [Member]            
Note 2 - Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Details) [Line Items]            
Revenues 34,780,000us-gaap_Revenues
/ us-gaap_ConcentrationRiskByBenchmarkAxis
= us-gaap_SalesRevenueServicesNetMember
/ us-gaap_ConcentrationRiskByTypeAxis
= us-gaap_CustomerConcentrationRiskMember
/ us-gaap_MajorCustomersAxis
= pesi_FederalGovernmentMember
47,557,000us-gaap_Revenues
/ us-gaap_ConcentrationRiskByBenchmarkAxis
= us-gaap_SalesRevenueServicesNetMember
/ us-gaap_ConcentrationRiskByTypeAxis
= us-gaap_CustomerConcentrationRiskMember
/ us-gaap_MajorCustomersAxis
= pesi_FederalGovernmentMember
       
Concentration Risk, Percentage 60.90%us-gaap_ConcentrationRiskPercentage1
/ us-gaap_ConcentrationRiskByBenchmarkAxis
= us-gaap_SalesRevenueServicesNetMember
/ us-gaap_ConcentrationRiskByTypeAxis
= us-gaap_CustomerConcentrationRiskMember
/ us-gaap_MajorCustomersAxis
= pesi_FederalGovernmentMember
63.90%us-gaap_ConcentrationRiskPercentage1
/ us-gaap_ConcentrationRiskByBenchmarkAxis
= us-gaap_SalesRevenueServicesNetMember
/ us-gaap_ConcentrationRiskByTypeAxis
= us-gaap_CustomerConcentrationRiskMember
/ us-gaap_MajorCustomersAxis
= pesi_FederalGovernmentMember
       
Treatment, SEC, And CH Plateau [Member]            
Note 2 - Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Details) [Line Items]            
Goodwill, Impairment Loss   27,856,000us-gaap_GoodwillImpairmentLoss
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= pesi_TreatmetnSECAndCHPlateauMember
       
Treatment [Member]            
Note 2 - Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Details) [Line Items]            
Goodwill, Impairment Loss   13,691,000us-gaap_GoodwillImpairmentLoss
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= pesi_TreatmentMember
0us-gaap_GoodwillImpairmentLoss
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= pesi_TreatmentMember
0us-gaap_GoodwillImpairmentLoss
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= pesi_TreatmentMember
   
PCB Permit [Member]            
Note 2 - Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Details) [Line Items]            
Number Of Definte-Lived Permits 1pesi_NumberOfDefiniteLivedPermits
/ us-gaap_FiniteLivedIntangibleAssetsByMajorClassAxis
= pesi_PCBPermitMember
         
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets, Net 227,000us-gaap_FiniteLivedIntangibleAssetsNet
/ us-gaap_FiniteLivedIntangibleAssetsByMajorClassAxis
= pesi_PCBPermitMember
         
Accounts Receivable [Member] | Customer Concentration Risk [Member]            
Note 2 - Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Details) [Line Items]            
Concentration Risk, Percentage 13.40%us-gaap_ConcentrationRiskPercentage1
/ us-gaap_ConcentrationRiskByBenchmarkAxis
= us-gaap_AccountsReceivableMember
/ us-gaap_ConcentrationRiskByTypeAxis
= us-gaap_CustomerConcentrationRiskMember
13.90%us-gaap_ConcentrationRiskPercentage1
/ us-gaap_ConcentrationRiskByBenchmarkAxis
= us-gaap_AccountsReceivableMember
/ us-gaap_ConcentrationRiskByTypeAxis
= us-gaap_CustomerConcentrationRiskMember
       
Perma-Fix Environmental Services UK (SECRA) [Member]            
Note 2 - Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Details) [Line Items]            
Equity Method Investment, Ownership Percentage 75.00%us-gaap_EquityMethodInvestmentOwnershipPercentage
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= pesi_PermaFixEnvironmentalServicesUKSECRAMember
         
Perma-Fix of Medical Corporation [Member]            
Note 2 - Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Details) [Line Items]            
Equity Method Investment, Ownership Percentage 64.00%us-gaap_EquityMethodInvestmentOwnershipPercentage
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= pesi_PermaFixOfMedicalCorporationMember
         
SYA [Member]            
Note 2 - Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Details) [Line Items]            
Goodwill, Impairment Loss         $ 380,000us-gaap_GoodwillImpairmentLoss
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= pesi_SYAMember
$ 380,000us-gaap_GoodwillImpairmentLoss
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= pesi_SYAMember