Workers recently began removing contaminated soil from the former Universal Steel & Trading Corp. property in Salem, the last stage in a multiyear effort by city, state, and federal officials to clean up the site and return it to productive use.

The removal of the soil, which is contaminated with PCBs and metals, follows the previous dismantling and removal of the two contaminated buildings that remained on the Bridge Street property after Universal Steel closed its operations at least a decade ago.