Finland Opens Criminal Probe Into Google Over Datacenter Forest Clearing

Finnish police have opened a criminal investigation into suspected breaches of environmental law at the site of a planned Google datacenter in northern Finland, the Guardian and Al Jazeera reported. Authorities say Tuike Finland, a Google subsidiary, cleared and drained forest near the town of Muhos before the environmental impact assessments required by Finnish law were finished.

A guilty finding could lead to a corporate fine, Detective Superintendent Kari Pakanen told Reuters. The case adds to a growing national argument over what large datacenter projects mean for communities, nature and electricity prices.

The key numbers

• 330 hectares (815 acres): the area of forest that authorities say Tuike Finland cleared and drained at Muhos, according to the Guardian.
• 250,000 and 150,000: the number of trees campaigners estimate were felled at Muhos and at a second site in Otanmäki, respectively, the Guardian reported.
• 145: the number of new datacenters at various stages of planning for which Finnish authorities are considering applications, according to the Guardian.
• €13 billion (£11 billion) or $15 billion: the size of the Google AI infrastructure deal, which the company called its largest investment in Europe. The Guardian gives the euro and pound figure, while Al Jazeera gives the dollar figure.
• 93,000: the number of people who have signed a petition demanding more datacenter regulation and compensation for environmental damage, the Guardian reported.
• 40 percent: the projected rise in Finland’s electricity use in the coming years if all agreed grid connection projects go ahead, grid operator Fingrid has said, with AI datacenters among the main drivers.

What police are examining

In a statement on Thursday, police said preliminary information pointed to ambiguities and shortcomings in the drainage and water management at the construction site. Pakanen said investigators are looking at whether the company’s operations breached the Water Act and caused environmental damage. He declined to say whether any individuals could become targets of the investigation.

A Google spokesperson said the company would cooperate with police and continue to focus on maintaining compliance at its sites.

How the dispute unfolded

Finnish authorities ordered Google to suspend work at Muhos and Otanmäki, about 100km to the south-east, after the company failed to complete environmental impact assessments before clearcutting the land. The Guardian places the order earlier this month, while Al Jazeera says it came at the start of October. The Supervisory Agency, which oversees environmental permits and assessments, told Google to halt preparatory measures that alter the environment.

Google’s Finland country manager, Antti Järvinen, has apologized for the clearings but argued that the company acted on the best understanding it had of the legislation at the time. Al Jazeera reported that videos and photographs of the cleared land, along with Google’s initial reluctance to address the issue, prompted widespread anger in a country where the public highly values the natural environment.

What it means for Finns

The Finnish government has backed the projects. Prime Minister Petteri Orpo said in September that attracting investment was a top priority and that the deal would bring lasting benefits, and he played down fears that it would drain energy supplies and push up power prices.

Not everyone agrees. Jussi Kangasharju, a professor of computer science at the University of Helsinki, told the Guardian that datacenters bring only a limited number of local jobs and minimal national benefits, because they serve international customers. Green lawmaker Oras Tynkkynen said Google had no excuse for failing to know Finnish law, though he cautioned that the anger at Google should not divert attention from Finland’s established forestry companies, which he called by far the biggest contributors to biodiversity loss in the country.

The Guardian said the issue could affect parliamentary elections due in April. Al Jazeera noted that Finland, with fewer than six million people, has seen less vocal opposition to datacenters than some other places, including the United States. That may now be changing.

Around Prague, based on reporting by The Guardian, Al Jazeera