Finnish authorities have ordered Google to stop preparatory work at two data center sites after it cleared large areas of forest without completing required environmental impact assessments. The order, issued Oct. 6 by Finland’s Licensing and Supervision Agency (LVV), covers sites in Muhos and in Otanmäki, in the Kajaani area.
Authorities halt site work
The order was addressed to Tuike Finland Oy, Google’s project subsidiary, and requires work to stop by Oct. 23 at the latest. It remains in force until environmental impact assessments are complete for both projects.
LVV said the preparatory work could significantly alter the environment. The work already done included clearing trees, removing topsoil, building site roads and storage areas, digging excavations and altering ditches and culverts. The order also covers quarrying, crushing and moving soil masses. Planning, measurements and soil surveys are exempt, along with other steps with minimal environmental impact that can be easily undone.
The halt followed public suspicion of illegal logging at the sites, and Finnish police are investigating, Yle reported. Tuike Finland had until Oct. 14 to submit a written explanation to LVV.
How much forest fell
Public information indicates about 740 acres (300 hectares) of forest was cleared at the Muhos site alone. Reports citing ecologists from the Finnish Association for Nature Conservation put the total near 400,000 trees across both sites, including about 150,000 at Otanmäki.
Because the clearing was carried out without the required assessments, campaigners say the timber cannot be sold to wood-processing plants. Residents also report brown water flowing from the Muhos site into a stream that feeds the Oulujoki River. The Business and Human Rights Resource Centre says the clearing reportedly affected water sources.
Reporting from the area quotes a resident near one site who said wolves have begun entering the village after wild animals left the forest.
Google responds to backlash
Google’s Finland country manager, Antti Järvinen, apologized for the clearing but said the company acted “on the best understanding we had of the legislation at the time.” A Google spokesperson, Sondre Ronander, said the company had “fallen short of our own high standards in this instance.”
Google has said it acted in good faith under Finland’s Forestry Act and ran nature surveys and protective measures for high-value areas. It told CNBC it would defer to LVV.
Debate over AI infrastructure
The halt comes weeks after Google announced plans to invest at least €13 billion (about $15 billion) in AI infrastructure across Finland through 2027 and 2028. The plan targets sites in Hamina, Kajaani, Muhos and Vaala, and Google has called it its largest single investment in Europe. Google separately signed a 20-year deal covering up to 50% of the Loviisa nuclear plant’s capacity as it expands its Finnish data center footprint.
The clearing has fueled a national debate. More than 93,000 people have signed a petition calling for stricter datacenter regulation and a fee to compensate local communities for environmental damage. Critics argue the projects create limited jobs and direct few tax benefits to Finland.
Both sites now wait on environmental impact assessments before any significant work can resume.