WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - Finnish authorities have ordered a halt to construction work at two planned Google data centres after raising concerns over the clearance of more than 300 hectares of forest.
The sites in Muhos and Kajaani are part of Alphabet Inc. (GOOG) Google's planned EUR 13 billion investment in Finland, described by the company as its largest single investment in Europe.
The Finnish Supervisory Agency said work at one site had been carried out without a required environmental impact assessment. Preparatory work included tree and topsoil removal, road and storage-area construction and changes to drainage ditches.
The agency ordered activities that could significantly alter the environment to be suspended by 23 October and asked Tuike Finland, the company behind the projects, to explain how it would proceed by 14 October.
Google said it had fallen short of its own environmental standards and would follow the agency's guidance. The company said it had acted in good faith under the Forestry Act and conducted nature surveys.
Google also plans tree planting across 130 hectares at Muhos. The wider expansion is expected to support more than 37,000 construction jobs and contribute EUR 3.6 billion annually to Finland's economy.
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