Based on reporting by CNA

Wire reporting: (Reuters, via CNA)

Finnish police said Thursday they had opened a criminal investigation into suspected environmental-law breaches at a planned Google data center construction site in northern Finland, Reuters reported from Helsinki¹.

The site, near Muhos, is tied to Alphabet's Google plan announced last month to invest $15 billion in artificial-intelligence infrastructure in Finland, which the company called its largest investment in Europe¹.

Authorities have said Tuike Finland, a Google subsidiary, carried out forest clearing and drainage before environmental impact assessments required under Finnish law were finished¹. Police said preliminary information pointed to ambiguities and shortcomings in drainage and water management at the Tuike Finland Oy project, and that the inquiry would look at related circumstances¹.

On Oct. 6, Finland's Supervisory Agency, which oversees environmental permits and assessments, ordered Google to stop preparatory work that would alter the environment at Muhos and at a separate site¹. Google did not immediately reply to Reuters' request for comment, and Reuters said it could not immediately reach Tuike. Google has previously said it began preparatory work based on its understanding of the approvals required¹.

Prime Minister Petteri Orpo last month backed the investment as an economic boost and played down concerns about power demand and prices¹. It was not reported whether charges would follow or how the halt order would affect the construction timetable¹.