Google told to halt work on datacentres in Finland over environmental concerns
Google told to halt work on datacentres in Finland over environmental concerns
Google has been ordered to temporarily stop work on two datacentres in Finland after failing to carry out the necessary environmental impact assessments on its construction sites.
由于未能对其建筑工地进行必要的环境影响评估，谷歌已被勒令暂时停止在芬兰的两个数据中心的施工。
The planned datacentres in Muhos and Kajanni are part of a €13bn (£11bn) project across multiple sites in northern Finland by the technology company amid huge demand for space to house online infrastructure.
这两个计划中的数据中心分别位于穆霍斯（Muhos）和卡亚尼（Kajaani），是该科技公司在芬兰北部多个地点开展的 130 亿欧元（110 亿英镑）项目的一部分，旨在满足对在线基础设施空间的大量需求。
It comes after it emerged that Tuike Finland Oy, the company representing Google, had felled 330 hectares (815 acres) of forest in Muhos without completing an environmental impact assessment (EIA).
此前有消息称，代表谷歌的 Tuike Finland Oy 公司在未完成环境影响评估（EIA）的情况下，在穆霍斯砍伐了 330 公顷（815 英亩）的森林。
In Kajaani, the company has reportedly been logging across just under 200 hectares (494 acres) of land.
据报道，该公司在卡亚尼的伐木面积也接近 200 公顷（494 英亩）。
The Finnish Association for Nature Conservation said the sites had been reduced to “sand”, blaming the oversights on the “overheated” market for new datacentres.
芬兰自然保护协会表示，这些场地已被夷为“沙地”，并将这些疏忽归咎于数据中心市场“过热”。
On Tuesday, the Finnish Licensing and Supervision Authority (LVV) said it had issued a notice to the company to “immediately suspend” – by 23 October at the latest – “preparatory measures that significantly change the environment” of the two sites until the environmental impact assessment had been completed. Google has until next Wednesday to submit a written explanation.
周二，芬兰许可与监管局（LVV）表示，已向该公司发出通知，要求其最迟在 10 月 23 日前“立即暂停”这两个地点“显著改变环境的准备措施”，直至环境影响评估完成。谷歌必须在下周三前提交书面解释。
The EIA is ongoing and expected to be completed later this year. But Google has gone ahead with “extensive preparatory measures”, including removing trees, stripping topsoil and constructing site roads, LVV said.
LVV 表示，环境影响评估正在进行中，预计将于今年晚些时候完成。但谷歌已经进行了“大规模的准备措施”，包括砍伐树木、剥离表土和修建工地道路。
Tommi Muilu, the head of the environmental department at LVV, said: “In our opinion, the measures in question will change the environment and cause impacts, the identification and assessment of which are among the key objectives of the EIA procedure.”
LVV 环境部门负责人托米·穆伊卢（Tommi Muilu）表示：“我们认为，相关措施将改变环境并造成影响，而识别和评估这些影响正是环境影响评估程序的主要目标之一。”
If Google does not comply, LVV said it would consider enforcement proceedings and a fine.
LVV 表示，如果谷歌不遵守规定，将考虑采取强制执行程序并处以罚款。
In response, Google said in a statement “we understand the concerns” and that it had “fallen short of our own high standards”.
对此，谷歌在一份声明中表示“我们理解这些担忧”，并承认其“未达到我们自身的高标准”。
The company added: “We will study the LVV’s findings and follow their guidance. We acted in good faith under the Forestry Act, and ran nature surveys and put in place measures to protect high-value areas. As we continue our long-term work in the region, we are advancing our landscaping and biodiversity plans, which include tree planting across 130 hectares (321 acres) at Muhos.”
该公司补充道：“我们将研究 LVV 的调查结果并遵循其指导。我们根据《林业法》真诚行事，进行了自然调查并采取了保护高价值区域的措施。随着我们继续在该地区开展长期工作，我们正在推进景观美化和生物多样性计划，其中包括在穆霍斯种植 130 公顷（321 英亩）的树木。”
Tapani Veistola, the chief operating officer at the Finnish Association for Nature Conservation, said the malpractice across two sites appeared to be a “systemic problem”. The site at Muhos, he said, was “not a forest any more. It is a sand area.”
芬兰自然保护协会首席运营官塔帕尼·韦斯托拉（Tapani Veistola）表示，这两个地点的违规行为似乎是一个“系统性问题”。他说，穆霍斯的场地“不再是森林了，而是一片沙地”。
One of the reasons behind it, he said, was the enormous demand to build datacentres in Finland, which is leading companies to work as fast as possible and overwhelming small municipalities.
他说，其背后的原因之一是芬兰对建设数据中心的巨大需求，这导致企业尽可能加快工作进度，使小型城市不堪重负。
“The main reason behind everything is the overheated market situation that makes companies speed up processes so much. Also a lack of expertise in municipalities.”
“这一切背后的主要原因是过热的市场形势，迫使企业极大地加快了流程。此外，各城市也缺乏相关专业知识。”