As I read the Merc’s article about the recent Schnitzer Steel fire, I came upon a quote from Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao responding to the Dave Kaval’s comments about the City not partnering up with the A’s to take on Schnitzer (as of July rebranded Radius Recycling):

“Through a spokesperson, Mayor Thao responded to the claim, saying that Schnitzer was ‘not a deal point in the negotiations. Period.’ And that their backing wouldn’t have helped move things along:

‘The City’s participation would not have improved the A’s chances in the litigation, and certainly had nothing to do with the fire at the facility. To suggest otherwise is misleading and irresponsible.’ ”

Hadn’t I asked about this in the past, I wondered. Turns out, I did over five years ago (emphasis mine).

To support their cause, Schnitzer enlisted from former State Senate President and East Bay politico Dom Perata. While Perata has seen his image disgraced and his power diminished, I don’t doubt for second that he still has some weight to throw around and that Schnitzer will use it to make any negotiations difficult. The question is, does Oakland and the A’s want to venture down this road? Schnitzer’s problems have been well known, but it provides a useful service for area. What is to be done about it? What if a fire broke out during a night game next door? How do you protect the fans, or evacuate them safely? These are among the many questions the A’s will be considering over the next six months.

Based on Thao’s response, the answer about Oakland’s willingness to venture down this road is a disappointing NO. Legally, the City’s hands are somewhat tied. Schnitzer’s land is owned by the company, not the Port or City, which means that they’re only accountable to state and regional regulatory agencies like the DTSC and BAAQMD. The City and Port can’t afford to start eminent domain proceedings against Schnitzer, and if they tried it would be a long, drawn-out mess marked by a lawsuit that wouldn’t benefit from recent CEQA streamlining provisions.

That means there are only two ways to get rid of Schnitzer Steel. The most American way is the old capitalism route: buy them out. Recent A’s history has shown that they have zero appetite for overpaying for land, making this option not much of an option at all. The other way – also very American – is to leverage the power of the government to make the current Schnitzer location bad for business as an ongoing concern thanks to fines and regulations. The A’s went this route and were able to get the DTSC to level a $4 million fine against Schnitzer two years ago. The A’s then sued the DTSC for more in order to effectively drive Schnitzer off their land, an effort that failed last fall and several months ago on appeal. The DTSC stepped up in May and allowed the A’s to relaunch their lawsuit. The tweet below references an amicus brief filed by the National Resources Defense Council, which is a welcome sentiment but isn’t going to move the needle much. Whatever may lead to the ultimate goal of Schnitzer giving up the land is several steps away.

Ah, here’s what Kaval was referring to, an amicus brief from May. https://t.co/Va3LH1XaTx pic.twitter.com/GWe0KdeeRH

— newballpark (@newballpark) August 10, 2023

Now let’s look at a compromise option. Despite all the legal maneuvering and civic posturing, the vital question remains: How can a huge mixed-use development that draws new residents, workers and visitors co-exist with a oft-polluting business that has no desire to move and owns their land fair and square? This wasn’t directly addressed in the five years since the A’s introduced the Howard Terminal concept. Instead we got acknowledgements of the problem and few solutions. It’s worth noting that AB&I foundry, which left the Coliseum area of Oakland in 2022 (no thanks to the A’s), used boilerplate reasons normally associated with leaving out-of-state or going offshore.

Back in Jack London Square, the A’s called it a day when they saw smoke. BAAQMD issued an advisory, but not a Spare the Air alert. Nearby businesses including the A’s chose to evacuate and close shop or continue their work days. If you were sitting in left field at a Howard Terminal ballpark and you saw smoke, would you wait for your phone to give an alert before you reacted?

“Oakland Athletics President Dave Kaval said he and other employees at the baseball team’s office, which overlooks the recycling center, evacuated the building after smoke began billowing up into the sky Wednesday evening. The office was closed Thursday, Kaval said in an interview with The San Francisco Chronicle.”

I feel bad for all the people who bought into this fantastical vision and downplayed major concerns like this. It’s as if everyone in Oakland – heavy industry, poor and put-upon residents, real estate developers, feckless government officials, and fans – could simply sacrifice and come together to keep a baseball team in town. Whatever you think of Dave Kaval and John Fisher now, they gave it a shot. Yet who in their right mind would buy a $1-2 million condo knowing there’s a good chance they would have to evacuate at random intervals due to pollution? This isn’t Richmond near the Chevron refinery, it’s supposed to be downtown! Too bad no one involved – public and private – was willing to pay the true cost to make it happen. Or make the biggest sacrifice. Let’s remember that the land on which the Giants ballpark sits was made available because a large amount of industry vacated San Francisco after Loma Prieta. They left for Oakland, a city more than willing to take the shipping industry and jobs.

For those wondering, asked Kaval a few times (today and in past) if selling was ever a consideration and why they won't sell to an owner with the capacity to keep the team in Oakland. His responses don't answer the question. Here's today's example if you wanna read a lot: pic.twitter.com/PK9hqI1WFv

— Shayna Rubin (@ShaynaRubin) August 11, 2023

The Merc’s Shayna Rubin got additional info from Kaval, including what to me reads like the Executive Summary of the A’s relocation bid to the other MLB owners. I know a lot of fans were claiming BS on this, but look at it through the owners’ not-Oakland-centric lens and think about it. Then consider how much Oakland and Alameda has done for the Raiders and Warriors and how much it has done for the A’s over the past 10, 20, 50 years. A few weeks ago some A’s fans got suckered into thinking that had an ally in the Nevada legislature. They have even less of an ally in The Lodge. Folks need to get off their hopium addictions, because it’s not healthy. Manfred and the owners are giving Oakland and A’s fans one last chance to keep the team in town. Thao’s presentation to Manfred before the All Star Game isn’t new information to the owners. The A’s give quarterly reports on their progress. To win over baseball, you’ll have to give up more. More than you’re comfortable with and more than you ever considered. That’s what happens when you take something for granted, the price goes up.