GRAFTON – Investors in a Asian carp processing plant in southern Illinois hope to start operations within a month.

"Everyone is happy, everything is progressing, and we are getting ready to work on facility modifications within the next 30 days," Ben Allen with American Heartland Fish Products LLC told The Telegraph in Alton for a Monday story.

The company is waiting to receive federal grant money and low-interest loans. The funding comes through the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity and includes about $1.4 million in loans for the company and about $525,000 for city of Grafton infrastructure at the plant site.