Experts warn Google data centre projects could harm habitats and waterways

Google’s planned data centres in Muhos and Kajaani could affect threatened species and small waterways, while experts say the dark water that has worried local residents is not necessarily the main concern, Yle reports.

Authorities ordered work on both projects stopped in early October because the environmental impact assessment had not yet been completed. Yle reviewed assessment materials and spoke with experts about possible risks to nature and water systems.

Threatened species and habitats

The projects are in areas already heavily altered by human activity. But in Muhos, some places important for biodiversity and areas of forest with above-average biodiversity had been identified, says Kari-Matti Vuori, research development manager at the Finnish Environment Institute. Images from the area suggest those forest habitats have not been preserved, he says.

Threatened species have been found at or near both project sites. In Kajaani, these include white helleborine, a dragonfly species known in Finnish as lummelampikorento, and the moor frog. The moor frog has also been found in Muhos. Its habitat is protected by law and must not be degraded.

Some trees appear to have been left near a moor frog population in Muhos. But authorities should assess in advance whether such measures are sufficient, Vuori says. He describes the protective tree cover as appearing cosmetic, and says major changes to the area’s water conditions and natural environment make it unlikely the population will survive.

A protected peatland lies about a kilometre from the Kajaani project and could also be affected.

Risks to small waterways

Residents in Muhos have raised concerns about dark water flowing from the construction site. Oulu University water engineering professor Björn Klöve says the colour alone is not necessarily a cause for concern. He believes the water probably contains clay particles. Aerial images suggest the topsoil includes silt, sand, coarser material and peat.

The effect on waterways depends on where the material ends up and how much water is treated before it reaches them. Near the Muhos construction site are a near-natural small stream, a seepage area, brooks and springs. These small waterways could be significantly affected if water from the site flows into them. Sand can be particularly harmful in a natural waterway because it settles and remains in place, Klöve says.

The impact on the nearby Oulu and Muhos rivers would be smaller because both have high flows. The Muhos River is also affected by other land uses, including forestry and farming. The river has recently been restored, making additional pollution harmful, Klöve says.

Peatland work can release pollutants

Both construction sites partly occupy peatland that has been drained for forestry. Clear-cutting and new drainage in peatlands release pollutants into waterways, including nutrients. Klöve says the effects of the data centre work would be similar to those of clear-cutting, but much more severe because the soil is being altered more extensively.

In Muhos, there is a particular risk of water acidification because the soil may have high sulphate levels. Excavation could bring highly acidic sulphate-bearing clay to the surface, where it could acidify waterways. Acidification has sometimes caused mass fish deaths in Finland, though Klöve says any effects in the Oulu and Muhos rivers would be local. The assessment is also expected to examine sulphate risks at Otanmäki, in Kajaani.

The environmental assessment could, in principle, also allow authorities to intervene if a project requires too much land, Vuori says. Google has cleared 330 hectares of forest in Muhos and about 200 hectares in Kajaani.