Key facts
- Google's subsidiary Tuike Finland allegedly cleared and drained 330 hectares of forest before environmental assessments were completed.
- Finnish police are investigating potential breaches of environmental laws at the Muhos datacentre site.
- Authorities ordered Google to halt preparatory measures at Muhos and Otanmäki sites earlier this month.
Finnish police have opened a criminal investigation into potential environmental law violations at the site of a planned Google datacentre in Muhos, northern Finland. Authorities allege that Google's subsidiary, Tuike Finland, cleared and drained 330 hectares of forest before completing the legally required environmental impact assessments. The company has since apologised, citing a misunderstanding of the legislation at the time. This action follows an order from Finnish authorities earlier this month for Google to halt preparatory work at both the Muhos and Otanmäki sites due to similar environmental assessment failures. Experts and campaigners have raised concerns about the environmental impact and limited local benefits of such datacentre projects.