Finland orders Google to halt work at two data center sites pending environmental review

The Finnish Supervisory Agency (LVV) ordered Google’s data center subsidiary, Tuike Finland, to suspend preparatory work at planned data center sites in Muhos and Kajaani, after the clearance of more than 300 hectares of forest, the BBC reported Oct. 6. LVV said work at one site went ahead without a mandatory environmental impact assessment; the work included removing trees and topsoil and building site roads, and the suspension holds until the assessments are complete, according to Yle. Google said it had “fallen short of our own high standards in this instance” and would comply; the sites are part of a €13 billion investment Google announced in Finland in September, and Yle reported Oct. 8 that police had opened a preliminary inquiry into the work at Muhos after a complaint from a private individual.