Finnish police have launched a criminal investigation into possible breaches of environmental laws at the site of a planned Google datacentre in rural northern Finland. Authorities allege that Tuike Finland, a subsidiary of the US tech giant, cleared and drained 330 hectares of forest in the municipality of Muhos before the mandatory environmental impact assessments were completed.
Alleged Breaches in Muhos and Otanmäki
The Supervisory Agency, which oversees environmental permits, ordered Google to suspend work at two sites earlier this month. The halt applies to the Muhos location and a second site in Otanmäki, located about 100km to the south-east. Officials stated that the company failed to complete the required impact assessments before clearcutting the land.
Campaigners estimate that approximately 250,000 trees were felled at the Muhos site and 150,000 at Otanmäki. In a statement on Thursday, Finnish police noted ambiguities and shortcomings in drainage and water management at the construction site of Tuike Finland Oy. The investigation will examine the circumstances surrounding these issues.
Google’s Finland country manager, Antti Järvinen, has apologised for the forest clearings. He argued that the company acted according to its best understanding of the legislation at the time. However, the incident has sparked anger across the country, with critics describing the actions as pure arrogance.
Debate Over Datacentre Expansion
Finland has become an attractive destination for tech companies seeking to build datacentres. The country offers relative geopolitical stability, abundant land, and a cool climate that helps reduce energy costs for cooling servers. Finnish authorities are currently considering applications for a total of 145 new datacentres at various stages of planning.
Among these is a €13bn artificial intelligence infrastructure project by Google, which the company has called its largest investment in Europe. The Finnish government has encouraged these projects. Prime Minister Petteri Orpo stated in September that attracting investment was a top priority and that the deal would deliver lasting benefits to the nation.
Despite government support, the revelations over Google’s alleged misconduct have triggered a national debate. More than 93,000 people have signed a petition demanding stricter regulation of datacentres and compensation for environmental damage. Experts argue that the benefits for local communities are limited.
Jussi Kangasharju, a professor of computer science at the University of Helsinki, stated that datacentres bring a limited number of local jobs and offer minimal benefits on a national level. He noted that these facilities are primarily international companies serving international customers, with little benefit for others except the datacentre operator. The issue could impact parliamentary elections due in April.
Source: The Guardian
