JOLIET, Ill. — The illegal dump site on a deceased farmer’s land at the DuPage River near Plainfield will be cleaned of garbage, a spokesman for Will County State’s Attorney James Glasgow noted July 15.

Charles Pelkie, director of public affairs for Glasgow, indicated the cleanup could be part of a pending civil case with the current owners of the late Herman J. Fritz farm as defendants. Complaints about the dump site reportedly had been lodged for more than a decade with apparently little or no legal action taken until just recently, it was noted.

The 78-year-old Fritz, who was to appear July 24 in Will County court in Joliet for a hearing on criminal felony charges filed in May that cited him with illegal dumping, was pronounced dead at the scene of a two-vehicle wreck on Interstate 80 near Morris on July 10.

The incident occurred when Fritz’s vehicle collided with the rear of a semi-trailer truck parked partially on the shoulder of the highway about three miles east of Morris. The driver of the truck, Jeffrey Seefeldt, 42, of Davenport, Iowa, was ticketed by police for improper parking.

Fritz farmed west of Illinois 59 and north of the DuPage River. Pelkie said the new landowner could not be cited for illegal dumping under criminal law; therefore, a civil case was to be filed.

According to authorities, Fritz had allegedly dumped garbage waste into and alongside the DuPage River. He was also facing misdemeanor charges for water pollution in connection with the dumping and air pollution citations for burning waste matters.

A Chicago Tribune article dated Nov. 20, 2014, noted a case was filed that month in Will County court to stop the illegal dumping, and that Fritz created substantial health dangers and could face stiff fines for violating environmental law. The dumping took place at night and the garbage was topped off with concrete and dirt. Much of the debris had fallen into the river, the Tribune reported.

According to the article, Fritz said he charged $75 per load for dumping. It also noted Fritz “conceded he should not be operating an illegal dump.”

The visitation for Fritz was July 14 at Overman-Jones Funeral Home & Cremation Services, and the funeral on July 15 at Peace Lutheran Church, both of Plainfield. The Rev. Galen Sollie officiated. Burial was in Plainfield Township Cemetery.