Google Accused of Felling 300 Hectares of Forest for a Finnish Data Centre
2 hours ago
- Google cleared over 300 hectares of forest in northern Finland for a data centre without the environmental assessment required by Finnish regulators.
- Satellite images show felling continued until August, five months after the regulator's May letter mandating the assessment.
- The Finnish Association for Nature Conservation accused Google's project company of gross incompetence or disregard for Finnish law.
- Four designated nature sites were also bulldozed during the clearing.
- Google's subsidiary had asked the regulator in April to waive the assessment, but was denied; clearing began in March regardless.
- Google claims the felling complied with the Forest Act, citing nature surveys, and says it checked the law beforehand.
- The regulator is investigating and both sites are under a building ban while local plans are appealed.
- Muhos municipality has not issued a building permit for the project, and the building ban makes felling subject to a landscape work permit.
- The state sold Google 1,400 hectares of forest for over €27 million in 2022; Google announced a €13 billion data centre investment.
- The conservation association wants the regulator to use enforcement powers to halt the project until the assessment is done.