The dangers of trains hauling crude oil have made the news in recent years as several accidents — one in Lac-Megantic, Quebec, in 2013 and another in Fayette County, West Virginia in 2015 — have prompted officials to consider routing oil trains out of cities.

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette PowerSource reports that Pennsylvania officials are thinking about re-routing oil trains around Pittsburgh instead of through the city. As much as 3 million gallons of crude oil on 60 to 70 trains passes through Pennsylvania each week on the way to refineries on the East Coast. So much crude is shipped via rail because of the lack of pipeline infrastructure in the east.

Pennsylvania’s main crude haulers, CNX Corp. and Norfolk Southern Railway, have not yet stated whether or not they will re-route their trains. Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf has asked these rail carriers to reduce speed in cities of greater than 100,000 citizens, but that hasn’t happened yet.

Via: Pittsburgh Post-Gazette PowerSource > Carriers weigh routing oil trains around cities in Pennsylvania

More about rail and the oil industry:

New oil tank car rules lacking in fire protection, according to experts May 18, 2015

Amount of Bakken crude oil transported through Ohio by rail raises concerns April 3, 2015

Oil & rail industries develop crude-by-rail safety course for first responders March 27, 2015

Senator Casey advocates for better training of first responders to oil train accidents> March 17, 2015

Bakken oil passes through Ohio on way to East Coast refineries Feb. 3, 2015

Rail meets the shale oil industry July 18, 2014