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The Guardian
· collected 2026-10-06 · by Miranda Bryant Nordic correspondent
Google has been instructed by Finnish authorities to halt work on two datacenter projects in Muhos and Kajanni due to insufficient environmental impact assessments. The company had cleared significant forest areas, totaling 815 acres in Muhos and nearly 494 acres in Kajanni, before completing the necessary evaluations. Google responded that it acted in good faith under forestry laws but acknowledged falling short of its own standards. If compliance is not met by October 23, fines and further enforcement actions could be imposed.
Written locally by qwen2.5:14b on 2026-10-06,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Story summary
In late October, Google was ordered by the Finnish Licensing and Supervision Authority (LVV) to halt work on datacenter construction in Muhos and Kajanni, northern Finland, due to incomplete environmental impact assessments. The company had cleared 330 hectares of forest in Muhos and nearly 200 hectares in Kajaani without completing the necessary EIA process. This move is part of a larger 13 billion euro project for Google across multiple sites in Finland, driven by high demand for data infrastructure space. The Finnish Union for Nature Conservation criticized the developments, describing affected areas as "sand" and attributing oversights to market pressures for new datacenters. LVV gave Google until October 23rd to cease preparatory activities that significantly alter the environment at both sites until full assessments are completed.
Written for “Google Data Centre Controversy Finlan…” on 2026-10-06,
grounded in this article and the 0 other(s) covering the same event.
Why this leaning score
The model judged this article politically coded and scored it -0.45, but all 3 of its quote(s) are attributed speech - words the article quotes from someone, not the article's own narration, so the score is not published.
Written under an earlier scoring contract, which gave a paragraph
rather than checkable quotes. Re-analysing this article replaces it.
Leaning score withheld for article 60790: attributed speech only · logged 2026-10-06
Google has been ordered to temporarily stop work on two datacentres in Finland after failing to do the necessary environmental impact assessments on its construction sites.
asserted
Google → order → sites
The planned datacentres in Muhos and Kajanni are part of a 13bn euro project across multiple sites in northern Finland by the technology company amid huge demand for space to house online infrastructure.
asserted
datacentres → plan → infrastructure
It comes after it emerged that Tuike Finland Oy, the company representing Google, had felled 330-hectares (815 acres) of forest in Muhos without completing an environmental impact assessment.
asserted
Oy → come → assessment
In Kajaani, the company has reportedly been logging across just under 200 hectares (494 acres) of land.
uncertain
company → log → land
The Finnish Union for Nature Conservation said the sites had been reduced to “sand”, blaming the oversights on the “overheated” market for new datacentres.
asserted
sites → say → datacentres
On Tuesday, the Finnish Licensing and Supervision Authority (LVV) said it had issued a notice to the company to “immediately suspend” – by 23 October at the latest – “preparatory measures that significantly change the environment” of the two sites until the environmental impact assessment had been completed.
asserted
assessment → say → sites
Google has until next Wednesday to submit a written explanation.
asserted
Google → have → explanation
The environmental impact assessment (EIA) is ongoing and expected to be completed later this year.
asserted
assessment → expect → ?
But Google has gone ahead with “extensive preparatory measures”, including removing trees, stripping topsoil and constructing site roads, LVV said.
asserted
LVV → go → roads
Tommi Muilu, head of the environmental department at LVV, said: “In our opinion, the measures in question will change the environment and cause impacts, the identification and assessment of which are among the key objectives of the EIA procedure.”
asserted
identification → say → procedure
If Google does not comply, LVV said it would consider enforcement proceedings and a fine.
asserted
it → comply → proceedings
In response, Google said in a statement “we understand the concerns” and admitted that it had “fallen short of our own high standards”.
asserted
it → say → standards
The company added: “We will study the LVV’s findings and follow their guidance.
asserted
We → add → guidance
We acted in good faith under the Forestry Act, ran nature surveys and put in place measures to protect high-value areas.
asserted
We → act → areas
As we continue our long-term work in the region, we are advancing our landscaping and biodiversity plans, which include tree planting across 130 hectares (321 acres) at Muhos.”
asserted
which → continue → Muhos
Tapani Veistola, chief operating officer at the Finnish Union for Nature Conservation, said the malpractice across two sites appears to be a “systemic problem”.
asserted
malpractice → say → sites
The site at Muhos, he said, is “not a forest any more.
asserted
he → say → Muhos
One of the reasons behind it, he said, is the enormous demand to build datacentres in Finland, which is leading companies to work as fast as possible and overwhelming small municipalities.
asserted
which → say → municipalities
“The main reason behind everything is the overheated market situation that makes companies speed up processes so much.
asserted
companies → make → processes
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