A vacant industrial property on the banks of the Neponset River in Hyde Park will be the first target of a much bigger federal clean-up effort this month, according to US Rep. Ayanna Pressley’s office.

The old Lewis Chemical Co. site will be the initial focus of a longer-term ‘Superfund’ effort that was announced by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) last year.

The “short-term,” $3.9 million project at the site off River Street will target polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) contamination in the sediment of the river and take an estimated seven months to complete.

“Through the excavation and disposal of soil, the upcoming cleanup work will eliminate the direct contact threat and remove the source contamination of PCBs and other hazardous substances,” according to an EPA handout.

“Residents should expect to see workers excavating soil, treating and disposing surface/ground water collected, and transporting and disposing of contaminated soil and other hazardous substances at EPA approved off-site disposal facilities. New, clean soil will be brought in to backfill where necessary.”

In a statement released by Pressley, the EPA’s regional chief, David Cash, stressed that this targeted project is just the beginning of a much larger, more expensive effort on the river.

“EPA is gearing up to begin the work of removing industrial contamination in the Lower Neponset. Addressing hazardous PCB contamination at the Lewis Chemical site is a first step of many activities to come,” he said.

Pressley added: “I am grateful to Regional Administrator Cash and the Biden Administration for making the cleanup of the Neponset River a priority and being intentional about seeing this effort through to the end.”