Bay Area

Oakland Mayor Thao, Councilmember Kaplan Announce Resolution in Support of Representatives Lee and DeSaulnier’s ‘Moneyball Act’ Legislation

Mayor Sheng Thao and Councilmember Rebecca Kaplan announced their resolution in support of Congressmembers Barbara Lee and Mark Desaulnier’s “Moneyball Act” legislation that would require any professional baseball club that relocates more than 25 miles from its previous location to compensate the state and local authorities they relocate from; and subject Major League Baseball (MLB) to Anti-Trust Laws if professional baseball clubs do not comply.

Published

2 years ago

June 26, 2023

Oakland Post

On Thursday day, the Rules and Legislation Committee approved the resolution to be scheduled for a vote at the June 28 City Council meeting.

The current antitrust exemption granted to MLB is a direct result of the unique value that individual sports teams bring to their communities.

However, the incentivization of professional baseball clubs to leave their home cities and relocate to other markets has raised questions about the continued validity of the legal and public policy bases for MLB’s antitrust exemption.

The relocation of clubs to new cities can sever the bonds established between franchises and their communities, leading to adverse economic effects and a loss of revenue, jobs, and commerce for the former host communities.

As demonstrated in the relocation of the Oakland Athletics (A’s), which was supported and encouraged by MLB, there are deep and inequitable impacts on the local community, especially the East Oakland community where the A’s have called their home for 50 years.

Councilmember Rebecca Kaplan stated: “I commend Congressmembers Barbara Lee and Mark DeSaulnier for defending the rights of communities like Oakland, along with many others across the nation, that are struggling to fight corporate greed in sports.

“The Moneyball Act will rectify Oakland’s current situation by ensuring fair compensation as a result of losing revenue, jobs, and commerce should the A’s relocate,” she said.

“As the Councilmember who represents the entire City of Oakland and chair of the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum Authority, we have worked diligently to bring about a thriving future, including sports, entertainment, job opportunities, and more,” Kaplan said. “This includes providing substantial opportunities for the A’s. Communities, taxpayers, workers, and fans all deserve to be treated with respect.”

Mayor Sheng Thao states: “The A’s have been a treasured part of the Oakland community for more than a half century, and the City and fans have repeatedly shown our commitment to keeping the A’s ‘rooted in Oakland.’ That history and deep commitment shouldn’t be thrown aside lightly. Once again, Congressmembers Lee and DeSaulnier are bringing plain common sense to the table, and we appreciate their steadfast support.”

From the media relations offices of Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao and City Councilmember at-Large Rebecca Kaplan.

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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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May 30, 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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May 25, 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.

Published

2 weeks ago

May 19, 2025

Oakland Post

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.”

“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 Richmond, CAER 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.