PennDOT plans to return to Harrison once the snow melts to inspect for more of the metal shards found scattered across township roads this week.
Spokesman Steve Cowan said sweeper trucks canvassed Freeport Road, Route 28 and Burtner Road on Wednesday and Thursday, picking up some of the small metal fragments that caused dozens of flat tires.
“We did find metal shards in the sweepings from when we started, but by mid-morning (Thursday), there were no more found,” Cowan said.
Cowan said PennDOT crews checked salt supplies to be sure the shards weren’t being flung from a state truck.
“We found no shards in the salt,” Cowan said.
Harrison police continue to investigate.
Countless people reported punctured tires this week from small flat pieces of metal found mostly in the township, but some as far as East Deer and Frazer.
Chief Brian Turack is seeking help from the public to identify any instances of metal debris falling from commercial vehicles. Officers are working with local manufacturing facilities and scrapyards to determine where the metal might have come from, he said.
Online speculation has mostly pointed to the potential of loose scrap metal from a transport truck.
Two of the closest scrapyards in the area say it didn’t come from them.
Chris Mitchell, controller at East Deer-based recycling firm PJ Greco Sons, told TribLive the company hadn’t hauled anything resembling the shards recently.
Ed Tomson, owner of Tomson Scrap Metal in Brackenridge, said his company doesn’t handle materials like the shards.
JV Manufacturing, which has a Burtner Road facility that produces precision metal tools for various industries, is also near the areas where drivers have reported flat tires.
The company posted to social media that it is aware of concerns regarding metal debris and that it takes safety seriously.
“We have been in direct communication with local township police and have provided all requested information to support their response and investigation,” the post read.
“JV Manufacturing follows established procedures for the handling and removal of materials through licensed third-party partners and maintains oversight of these processes in accordance with applicable standards.”
Messages left by TribLive at JV Manufacturing on Friday were not immediately returned.
Anyone who finds metal in their tire is asked to file a damage report at harrisontwp.com/police/condition-report.