IT之家 reported on October 23 that, according to a report by UK's The Guardian yesterday (October 22), in order to build a data center in Muhos, northern Finland, Google cleared approximately 330 hectares (3.3 million square meters) of forest,with an estimated 250,000 trees felled. The large-scale land clearing was carried out before the legally required environmental impact assessment was completed, and even the topsoil was removed.
According to IT之家 citing a blog post, local residents and environmental groups criticized that the site now contains only muddy bare ground, machine tracks, and piles of tree roots; muddy water may also flow into streams that eventually empty into the Oulujoki River, raising concerns about water quality and the ecosystem.
Earlier this month, the Finnish Permit and Supervision Authority (LVV) required Google to suspend construction at the two sites in Muhos and Otanmäki, about 100 kilometers away, and to stop activities that would significantly alter the environment by October 23; if it fails to comply, the regulator may initiate enforcement proceedings and impose fines.
Environmentalists estimate that,in addition to the 250,000 trees in Muhos, about 150,000 more trees were felled in Otanmäki, saying that Google illegally felled 400,000 trees in Finland.Because the felling was illegal, the timber in question cannot be sold to wood processing companies. The head of Google Finland has apologized for the forest clearing.