Why Finland asked Google’s partner to pause site-altering work at 2 data centers

The agency requested information on Sept. 18 from Tuike Finland, the municipalities of Muhos and Kajaani, and their building-control authorities. After reviewing the information, LVV said work had included removing trees and topsoil, building site roads and storage areas, altering ditches and culverts, and making stormwater arrangements.

LVV’s concern is that extensive changes made before the assessments conclude could narrow the alternatives reviewers can consider and weaken the assessments’ ability to influence the projects in advance. The request focuses on when the work is happening as well as what has already been done.

Which sites and work does the request cover?

The agency’s request names two planned data-center projects and asks Tuike Finland to suspend preparatory measures that significantly alter the environment until both assessments are complete:

• Muhos
• Kajaani

The request covers those specified measures at the two sites, rather than a blanket halt to all activity. LVV set Oct. 23 as the latest date for the covered work to stop.

What environmental concerns are being raised?

Forest clearing is a central concern for the Finnish Association for Nature Conservation. Its chair, Hanna Halmeenpää, said more than 300 hectares had been logged, including areas she described as nature sites that should be preserved, Euronews reported. That figure is Halmeenpää’s claim, distinct from LVV’s description of site work.

Google spokesperson Sondre Ronander acknowledged to Euronews that the company had fallen short of its own standards. He also said Google had acted in good faith and carried out environmental surveys and protective measures. Ronander said the company’s landscaping and biodiversity plans include tree planting across 130 hectares at Muhos.

Finland’s environment and climate minister, Sari Multala, said problems with the assessments would likely delay the projects and that companies operating in Finland must comply with the law. Her comments underscore the government’s concern about the process, while the agency’s request leaves the environmental assessments to examine the projects’ effects.

How does the request fit into Google’s wider Finland plan?

Google announced on Sept. 9 that it plans to invest at least €13 billion in Finnish digital infrastructure and related projects over 2027–2028. The company describes the investment as spanning digital infrastructure, clean-energy projects and economic partnerships, with projects and partnerships in Hamina, Kajaani, Muhos and Vaala. The agency’s request names only the planned projects in Muhos and Kajaani. Google’s investment announcement sets out the company’s plans, not a record of completed benefits.

There is also a local economic stake. Farmer and entrepreneur Joni Pitkanen spoke positively about the potential for the project to bring business activity and other companies to the countryside in a Euronews report. Those possible benefits sit alongside the conservation concerns and the question of whether environmental review can meaningfully shape large infrastructure projects.

What happens next, and what does the pause test?

Tuike Finland has until Oct. 14 to explain its position to LVV and say whether it intends to comply. The agency says the reports for the two environmental assessments are estimated to be complete by the end of 2026.

The case is a concrete test of how Finnish authorities apply environmental review to major technology infrastructure projects. LVV’s concern is that if significant site preparation comes first, the process may have less room to assess alternatives and prevent harm. The immediate deadlines are Oct. 14 for Tuike Finland’s response and Oct. 23 for stopping the specified work.