Caribbean officials are calling for an immediate halt to a European shipment of reprocessed nuclear waste that will pass near the islands on its way to Japan. They contend the practice poses a major risk.

Caribbean Community spokesman Leonard Robertson says regional officials have been told by British authorities that the shipment of radioactive waste will be soon. He says they gave no specifics about the vessel for security reasons.

Waste from Japanese nuclear reactors has for years been sent on specially equipped ships to Britain and France for reprocessing, then returned for storage in Japan.

Nuclear and shipping industry officials say the shipments don’t pose a risk and have a spotless safety record.