Work at Google data center sites in Finland ordered to halt

The Finnish Licensing and Supervision Authority (LVV) on Tuesday ordered environmentally significant preparatory work at two planned Google data center sites in northern Finland to be halted until legally required environmental impact assessments are completed, reported Xinhua.

LVV said Tuike Finland Oy, the company responsible for the projects, must suspend such work at the sites in the northern Finnish municipality of Muhos and the city of Kajaani immediately and no later than Oct. 23.

The order covers activities including tree removal, stripping of topsoil, road and storage-area construction and changes to drainage. Environmental impact assessments for both projects are still underway and are expected to be completed later this year.

Google said it would comply with the authorities' instructions. "We are examining the observations by the Finnish authorities carefully and will act in line with the instructions by Finnish authorities," Sondre Ronander, Google's head of communications for Finland and Norway, told national broadcaster Yle.

The company had earlier said it acted on the basis of Finnish forestry legislation. Finnish authorities have stressed, however, that environmental impact assessment requirements are governed by separate legislation.

Minister of Climate and the Environment Sari Multala told media that all companies operating in Finland, domestic or international, must comply with Finnish law. She said responsibility extended through the subcontracting chain, with the international company ultimately bearing responsibility.

The two projects are part of Google's 13-billion-euro investment plan for Finland, formally announced on Sept. 9.

The plan includes new data centers in Muhos, Kajaani and Vaala, a municipality in central-northern Finland, as well as an expansion of its existing facility in the city of Hamina in southern Finland.

Preparatory work at the Muhos and Kajaani sites began earlier this year, with tree clearing starting in March and other earthmoving and infrastructure work following later.

Google has described the investment as its largest single investment in Europe.