The Elephant's Foot had flowed through at least 2 m (6 ft 7 in) of pipes and fissures to reach its current location.[1] There were fears that the corium might continue to penetrate deeper into the ground and come into contact with groundwater, contaminating the area's drinking water and leading to illnesses and deaths;[11] however, as of 2016, the mass has not moved significantly since its discovery and is estimated to be only slightly warmer than its environment due to heat from the ongoing nuclear decay.[3]