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County Supervisor Keith Carson Announces Retirement after 30-Year Career

Many had assumed that Carson, who was first elected to the board in 1992, was planning to run for another term. But in a surprise statement, he announced Friday just after the filing deadline that he would not run for re-election.

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Keith Carson
Keith Carson

By Post Staff

Keith Carson, a 30-year incumbent on the Alameda County Board of Supervisors, has announced that he will not seek reelection to the board in 2024.

Many had assumed that Carson, who was first elected to the board in 1992, was planning to run for another term. But in a surprise statement, he announced Friday just after the filing deadline that he would not run for re-election.

“Serving you over the past 30 years has been an immense honor and privilege,” Carson wrote in a statement. “I’m excited about the future that lies ahead for Alameda County.”

Carson said that his decision was made after “careful consideration, prayer, and consultation” with his family.

Rushing to run for Carson’s District 5 seat, nine candidates have submitted their names:

  • Ben Bartlett,Berkeley councilmember
  • Nikki Fortunato Bas, Oakland councilmember
  • John Bauters, Emeryville councilmember
  • Ken Berrick, ALCO Board of Education trustee
  • Omar Farmer, ALCO Veteran Affairs Commissioner
  • Greg Hodge, non-profit executive
  • Chris Moore, community volunteer/accountant
  • Gerald Pechenuk, ALCO GOP Central Committee member
  • Lorrel Plimier, director, attorney/data scientist

In an interview quoted in the East Bay Times, Carson said that although he was grateful to represent his district, he also found that advocating for the Black and Brown communities he represents in corridors of power often occupied by White people was not always easy.

“It’s been a privilege to be at those table, and it’s also painful to be at those tables,” Carson said. “You’re usually the lone voice. You try not to be dismissed.”

Supervisor Carson said the decision to retire was not made for health reasons, and that he would have been “physically ready for another term.” He also said he would not run for another elected office or pursue consulting.

Conway Jones, Carson’s appointee and past Chairman of the Alameda County Veterans Commission, expressed gratitude to Carson for his efforts on behalf of veterans.

“Supervisor Keith Carson been a dedicated servant to our community,” Jones said. “We have a $240 million Veterans Administration Columbarium and Clinic in progress at the former Alameda Naval Air Station thanks to his leadership.”

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Oakland Post: Week of May 28 – June 30, 2025

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of May 28 – June 3, 2025

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Oakland Post: Week of May 21 – 27, 2025

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of May 21 – 27, 2025

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Chevron Richmond Installs Baker Hughes Flare.IQ, Real-time Flare Monitoring, Control and Reduction System

While the sight of flaring can cause concern in the community, flares are essential safety systems that burn pollutants to prevent them from being released directly into the atmosphere. They activate during startup and shut-down of facility units or during upsets or equipment malfunctions. The typical flare stack is about 200 feet high so that vapors are well above street levels.

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Image courtesy The Richmond Standard.
Image courtesy The Richmond Standard.

The Richmond Standard

Chevron Richmond recently installed flare.IQ, a real-time, automated system that will improve the facility’s flaring performance.

The technology, developed by Panametrics, a Baker Hughes business, uses sensors to monitor, reduce and control flaring in real time. It collects and assesses data on refinery processes, such as temperature, pressure, gas flow and gas composition, and adjusts accordingly to ensure flares burn more efficiently and cleanly, leading to fewer emissions.

“The cleaner the flare, the brighter the flame can look,” said Duy Nguyen, a Chevron Richmond flaring specialist. “If you see a brighter flame than usual on a flare, that actually means flare.IQ is operating as intended.”

While the sight of flaring can cause concern in the community, flares are essential safety systems that burn pollutants to prevent them from being released directly into the atmosphere. They activate during startup and shut-down of facility units or during upsets or equipment malfunctions. The typical flare stack is about 200 feet high so that vapors are well above street levels.

“A key element in Baker Hughes’ emissions abatement portfolio, flare.IQ has a proven track record in optimizing flare operations and significantly reducing emissions,” said Colin Hehir, vice president of Panametrics, a Baker Hughes business. “By partnering with Chevron Richmond, one of the first operators in North America to adopt flare.IQ, we are looking forward to enhancing the plant’s flaring operations.”

The installation of flare.IQ is part of a broader and ongoing effort by Chevron Richmond to improve flare performance, particularly in response to increased events after the new, more efficient hydrogen plant was brought online in 2019.

Since then, the company has invested $25 million — and counting — into flare minimization. As part of the effort, a multidisciplinary refinery team was formed to find and implement ways to improve operational reliability and ultimately reduce flaring. Operators and other employees involved in management of flares and flare gas recovery systems undergo new training.

“It is important to me that the community knows we are working hard to lower emissions and improve our flaring performance,” Nguyen said.

Also evolving is the process by which community members are notified of flaring incidents. The Community Warning System (CWS), operated by Contra Costa County is an “all-hazard” public warning system.

Residents can opt-in to receive alerts via text, e-mail and landline. The CWS was recently expanded to enable residents to receive notifications for “Level 1” incidents, which are considered informational as they do not require any community action.

For more information related to these topics, check out the resources included on the Chevron RichmondCAER and  Contra Costa Health websites. Residents are also encouraged to follow @chevronrichmond and @RFDCAOnline on Facebook and X (formerly Twitter), where additional information may be posted during an incident.

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