Finnish police said on Thursday they have launched a criminal investigation into suspected breaches of environmental law at the construction site of a planned Google data centre in northern Finland, Reuters reported from Helsinki.

Source: Reuters

Authorities say Tuike Finland, a subsidiary of Alphabet's Google, conducted forest clearing and drainage at a planned site near the town of Muhos before the environmental impact assessments required under Finnish law had been completed. Reporting on the case puts the cleared and drained area at Muhos at about 330 hectares, or 815 acres.

"Based on preliminary information, there have been ambiguities and shortcomings in the drainage and water management at the construction site of Tuike Finland Oy's data centre project," Finnish police said in a statement on Thursday. "The criminal investigation will examine, among other things, circumstances related to these issues," they added.

"We are investigating whether the company's operations have breached the water act and resulted in environmental damage," Detective Superintendent Kari Pakanen told Reuters, adding that a guilty finding could lead to a corporate fine. Pakanen declined to say whether any individuals could become a target of the investigation. Police said they would give an update in December, but the investigation would extend into 2027, and it is up to the regulator, the Supervisory Agency (LVV), to decide on any permits to restart the work.

Source: Reuters

An escalation from the October halt order

The criminal probe is a new development in a case that began earlier this month. On October 6, Finland's Supervisory Agency ordered Google to halt preparatory measures altering the environment at Muhos as well as at a separate site at Otanmäki, about 100 km to the south-east, after the company failed to complete environmental impact assessments before clearcutting the land. Campaigners estimate that about 250,000 trees were felled at Muhos and 150,000 at Otanmäki — about 400,000 trees across the two sites — figures that remain campaigner estimates, not official findings.

A Google spokesperson said the company would cooperate with the police investigation and continue to focus on maintaining compliance at its sites, Reuters reported. Google has previously said it started preparatory works based on its understanding of the approvals required under the relevant legislation.

The project is part of a plan announced last month by Alphabet's Google to invest $15 billion in artificial intelligence infrastructure in Finland — yaani $15 billion, about 1,500 crore dollars — which the US company described as its largest investment in Europe. Finland's cool climate, low-carbon electricity and government support for AI projects have made it one of Europe's main destinations for data centre investment, and Finnish authorities are considering applications for a total of 145 new data centres at various stages of planning.

Source: The Guardian, via The Bull Post

What happens next: police have promised an update in December, the investigation is expected to run into 2027, and any restart of work at the data centre sites depends on permits from the Supervisory Agency. No charges have been announced, and the investigation's outcome — including whether it ends in a corporate fine — is yet to be decided.