The US tech giant cleared hundreds of hectares of forest for planned facilities before completing environmental impact assessments
Finnish police have launched a criminal investigation into suspected environmental violations at a planned Google data center site, where hundreds of hectares of forest were cleared before the completion of mandatory environmental impact assessments.
The Oulu Police Department announced on Thursday that it was investigating suspected environmental damage at the site in Muhos, northern Finland, following complaints about the activities of Google’s local subsidiary, Tuike Finland.
According to Finnish public broadcaster Yle, police have received five requests for an investigation, including one from the Finnish Supervisory Agency (LVV), which oversees environmental permits and assessments.
Investigators have identified possible irregularities in drainage and water management at the construction site. Authorities are examining whether the work violated environmental legislation and caused damage to surrounding waterways.
Google has acknowledged clearing approximately 330 hectares of forest in Muhos and nearly 200 hectares at another planned data center site in Kajaani, despite environmental impact assessments for both projects remaining incomplete.
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