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A recently released study indicates that tons of radioactive groundwater continuously flows into the ocean at Fukushima Daiichi. In response, the Japanese government announced this week it will take over efforts to stem the flow of contaminated water from the Tokyo Electric Power Co. plant.

Significant recent developments at Fukushima include:

Groundwater Leak Estimated at 300 Metric Tons Daily

A government study of the area's hydrology released Wednesday estimated that about 1,000 metric tons of water flows beneath Fukushima Daiichi daily. An estimated 300 tons reaches the sea after coming in contact with contaminated soil, while another 400 tons flows into the basements of plant buildings, the Asahi Shimbun reported. Monitoring wells around the plant have produced widely varied radiation readings at different depths, locations and times, making the contaminated groundwater difficult to map. How long it has flowed into the ocean is unknown, and it's possible the leaks date back to the beginning of the crisis in 2011.

Government Steps In

As they announced the study, Japanese officials also said the government would provide direct financial support for efforts to block the groundwater. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe also said TEPCO would no longer be in charge of efforts to that end, instead following plans laid out by the government. The largest project would use coolant-filled pipes to create a vertical layer of frozen soil around the damaged units by mid-2015. It would cost between $300 million and $400 million, according to the Mainichi Daily News. In the near-term, TEPCO is also planning to pump contaminated water from the ground and store it in tanks, in addition to other measures to shore up physical barriers between the plant and its man-made harbor.