Google cleared 250,000 trees for a data center in Finland; regulator ordered work to stop
Google cleared about 330 hectares of forest, estimated at about 250,000 trees felled, to build a data center in Muhos in northern Finland, and carried out large-scale land clearing before completing the legally required environmental impact assessment. The Finnish Permitting and Supervision Agency (LVV) earlier this month ordered Google to suspend construction at two sites, Muhos and Otanmäki about 100 kilometers away, and to stop activities that would significantly alter the environment by October 23. Environmentalists estimate that another approximately 150,000 trees were felled in Otanmäki, and Google's Finland country head has apologized for the forest clearing.
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The report presents the specific conflict between data center siting and local environmental regulation, as well as the timeline of the regulator's order to stop work.
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Finnish Forest "Shaved Bald": Google Illegally Clears 250,000 Trees for AI Data Center IT Home Download the App Exclusive First Look October 23, 2026 14:58:35 From Shandong Updated October 23, 2026 15:46:57
IT Home, October 23 — The UK's The Guardian reported yesterday (October 22) that Google cleared approximately 330 hectares (3.3 million square meters) of forest, estimated at about 250,000 trees felled, in order to build a data center in Muhos in northern Finland, and carried out large-scale land clearing, even removing topsoil, before completing the legally required environmental impact assessment.
Citing a blog post, IT Home reports that local residents and environmental groups criticized the site as now reduced to muddy bare ground, machinery tracks and piled-up tree roots; muddy water may also flow into streams that eventually empty into the Oulujoki River, raising concerns about water quality and ecology.
Earlier this month, the Finnish Permitting and Supervision Agency (LVV) ordered Google to suspend construction at two sites, Muhos and Otanmäki about 100 kilometers away, and to stop activities that would significantly alter the environment by October 23; if not complied with, the regulator may initiate enforcement proceedings and impose fines.
Environmentalists estimate that in addition to the 250,000 trees in Muhos, another approximately 150,000 trees were felled in Otanmäki, saying Google illegally felled 400,000 trees in Finland. Because the felling was illegal, the timber involved cannot be sold to wood-processing companies either. Google's Finland head has apologized for the forest clearing.
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