Mark Silverman, 66; ran cleanup of nuclear site

Mark N. Silverman, a public-sector administrator who oversaw the clean up of a former Cold War nuclear site, died May 1 in his home in Key Biscayne, Fla. of complications from a brain tumor. He was 66.

A public servant for more than 25 years, Mr. Silverman held administrative and managerial positions at the Environmental Protection Agency, the Federal Energy Administration, the Western Area Power Administration, and the Department of Energy in fields ranging from oil and gas regulation to environmental cleanup and restoration.

According to his family, Mr. Silverman's proudest moment was his work as manager of the Department of Energy's Rocky Flats Environmental Technology Site, 6,500 acres near Denver that housed a Cold War-era nuclear weapons plant.

Mr. Silverman's mission at Rocky Flats was formidable: He was responsible for cleaning up one of the country's most hazardous and controversial sites, a long-time repository for plutonium, and turn the area into a wildlife refuge.

A 1995 Time magazine article hailed Mr. Silverman's work at Rocky Flats as a triumph over both Herculean logistical challenges and a half-century of bureaucratic stagnation.

Documenting Mr. Silverman's decidedly no-nonsense approach to his mission, the article concluded, ''If anyone can get the job done, it seems, it's the improbably unbureaucratic Mark Silverman."

For his work at Rocky Flats, which is nearing completion ahead of schedule, Mr. Silverman received the Presidential Distinguished Rank Award in 1995 and the secretary of energy's Gold Medal Award in 1996.

Born in Boston, Mr. Silverman grew up in Brookline. His father worked in the leather industry, and his mother was primarily a homemaker. A childhood bout with polio formed in him a strong desire to be an active member of society, said his family.

''When he was in the hospital, the doctor told him that he would get through it if he had a dream, something to work toward," said his daughter, Tamra Raven of New York. ''His dream was to go to West Point and to serve."

Despite chronic pain in his hips and knees, Mr. Silverman did attend the US Military Academy, graduating in 1961 with a bachelor of science degree in engineering. While there, he helped found a Jewish chapel.

Mr. Silverman served for five years in the Army's 82d Airborne Division, achieving the rank of captain. During his time in the Army, he served on a missile battery in Korea.

Upon his return to civilian life, Mr. Silverman earned a master's degree in arts and communication from the University of Pennsylvania's Annenberg School of Communications.

Following his retirement in 1996, Mr. Silverman worked as a management consultant. In 1999, he became a member of the National Academy of Sciences.

His family remembers Mr. Silverman as a playful father, a lover of music, and a dedicated public servant.

''If he saw something that he didn't like, he said something and then he did something about it," said his brother, Harry Silverman of Weston. ''He didn't back down from anything."

In addition to his daughter and brother, Mr. Silverman leaves his wife, Trish Silverman; another son, Andrew of Scottsdale, Ariz.; and his mother, Ruth Silverman of West Palm Beach, Fla.

Services will be held at 10 a.m. Tuesday in the West Point Jewish Chapel at the military academy in West Point, N.Y.