The U.S. Export-Import Bank's board of directors narrowly has turned down an application for a $214.6-million loan guarantee for a $1.5-billion natural gas project in Peru. The Ex-Im directors' 2-1 vote against the application came in a closed portion of a board meeting on Aug. 28. "A majority of the board concluded that the project did not meet all of the bank's environmental guidelines," says Bo Ollison, an Ex-Im spokesman. Ollison wouldn't specify in which environmental areas directors felt the project fell short, nor would he say which directors voted in favor and against the request. Environmental groups oppose the
