Finland’s police open criminal probe at Google’s Muhos data centre
Police say preliminary information points to drainage and water-management shortcomings, which the criminal investigation will examine alongside other issues.
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Police say preliminary information points to drainage and water-management shortcomings, which the criminal investigation will examine alongside other issues.
Finland’s police said on October 29 that they had opened a criminal investigation into suspected environmental-law breaches at Google’s planned data centre in Muhos, northern Finland. The inquiry adds criminal scrutiny to a project whose preparatory work had already been halted.
In a statement carried by Reuters via CNA, police said preliminary information indicated ambiguities and shortcomings in drainage and water management at the site. They said the investigation would examine circumstances surrounding those issues, among other matters.
Authorities have said Tuike Finland, a subsidiary of Alphabet-owned Google, cleared forest and carried out drainage work before the legally required assessments of the project’s environmental effects were complete. On October 6, Finland’s Supervisory Agency instructed Tuike to stop work that altered the environment at Muhos and Kajaani-Otanmäki immediately, or by October 23 at the latest.
In an October 14 response to the regulator, Tuike said it was complying with the restriction and had suspended preparatory work at both sites. The agency disclosed on October 22 that it had requested a police investigation into Muhos.
Police told Yle on October 22 that they had not yet opened an investigation into either the agency’s request or a separate request from a private individual.
Google did not immediately respond to Reuters' emailed request for comment on the criminal investigation, and Reuters could not immediately reach Tuike. Google had previously said it began preparatory work based on its understanding of the approvals required under the relevant legislation.
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In its October 22 statement, the Supervisory Agency said Tuike’s September 18 drainage notification described about nine kilometres of planned new ditches, most of which had already been completed. The notification should have been submitted at least 60 days before work began.
The agency assessed that the Muhos site is affected by a black-shale deposit. Drainage and excavation in such ground can expose sulphide-bearing soil to oxygen, potentially making water more acidic and increasing metal concentrations. Monitoring results supplied by Tuike already showed changes indicating acidification.
The regulator judged that Tuike’s proposed measures, including adding lime to soil and using lime-filter dams, would not alone prevent acidic, metal-bearing runoff. It also identified potential sediment and nutrient runoff during heavy rain, and uncertainty over whether proposed treatment fields that spread water across the ground would work as intended.
Muhos forms part of Google’s plan, announced in September, to invest $15 billion in Finnish superintelligence (SI) infrastructure. Google described it as its largest investment in Europe. Finland’s prime minister, Petteri Orpo, said in September that the investment would boost the economy, while playing down concerns about electricity consumption and higher power prices.
The Supervisory Agency requires Tuike to submit a detailed Muhos water-management plan by November 5. It must identify protective structures, their locations and construction schedule, and independent water monitoring. The plan must account for heavy rain, snowmelt and ground conditions that can produce acidity.
Tuike must also apply for a Water Act permit for the drainage work. If the company fails to take necessary measures, the agency said it would consider enforcement requiring action under threat of a conditional fine.
By November 5, Tuike must also explain any proposed maintenance, safeguarding and environmental-protection work at both sites. The agency said it wants to ensure those measures are necessary and do not create new environmental effects while the assessments continue.
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