Finnish police launch criminal probe into Google data centre environmental breaches

Finnish police have opened a criminal investigation into alleged breaches of environmental law at the site of Google’s planned Muhos data centre in northern Finland.

The probe follows five separate requests received by authorities to examine the project, which is being handled under a single investigation. Detective Superintendent Kari Pakanen said the police are assessing whether the company’s operations have violated the Water Act and caused environmental damage, and warned that a guilty finding could result in a corporate fine.

The investigation comes after the Finnish licensing authority ordered Tuike Finland Oy – a Google subsidiary providing engineering services – to suspend its data‑centre projects in Muhos and Kajaani‑Otanmäki earlier this month due to pending environmental assessments. Tuike Finland Oy halted preparatory work on both sites on 14 October.

Preliminary police information identified “ambiguities and shortcomings” in ditching and water management at the Muhos site. The preliminary investigation is expected to be completed next year because of the matter’s scope.

The Muhos data centre is part of Google’s €13 billion commitment to Finland, which includes several other data centres projected to create about 16,000 construction jobs. Google has also announced environmental initiatives, though reports last week claimed the company illegally cleared 330 hectares of forest near Muhos for the project.

Source: Silicon Republic. Photo: Diego Pontes / Pexels.