Finland Launches Criminal Probe of Environmental Damage at Google Data Center Site

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 center in northern Finland. The project is part of a plan announced last month by Alphabet’s Google to invest $15 billion in artificial intelligence infrastructure in Finland, which the US company described as its largest investment in Europe. Authorities say Tuike Finland, a subsidiary of Alphabet’s Google, conducted forest clearing and drainage at a planned site in Muhos before environmental impact assessments required under Finnish law had been completed. “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 center project,” police said in a statement. “The criminal investigation will examine, among other things, circumstances related to these issues,” it added. Finland’s Supervisory Agency, which oversees environmental permits and assessments, on October 6 ordered Google to halt preparatory measures altering the environment at Muhos as well as a separate site. The company started the preparatory works based on its understanding of the approvals required under relevant legislation, Google has previously said. (Reporting by Essi Lehto and Elviira Luoma, editing by Terje Solsvik)