A worker has died in an accident at the BP refinery located near Wilmington Avenue and Sepulveda Boulevard in Carson, said a company spokesman, according to the L.A. Times. more ›

BP is set to take its curtain call in Los Angeles as part of a widespread overhaul in the toxic wake of last year's Gulf of Mexico spill. The oil giant announced on Tuesday its intention to sell a huge, 630-acre Carson refinery south of downtown and its local Arco gasoline operations. It will also be selling its Texas City, Texas operation. more ›

Early risers and insomniacs in Torrance may have noticed some flaring today at the Exxon Mobil Refinery, which kicked in after a power outage, according to the Daily Breeze. The culprit: A raccoon who "slipped past some protective barriers at a power substation at 190th Street and Prairie Avenue and sparked the outage." Power was knocked out at around 1:50 a.m. but was restored by 4:30 a.m. Afterward, the refinery initiated "the flaring to burn off hydrocarbons as a safety measure." PS: They say the raccoon survived. more ›

People all over the Westside and near LAX have been curious about a plume of dark smoke and flames originating from the El Segundo area, and worried that a large fire was burning dangerously close to homes and businesses. However, the fire is actually originating from the Chevron facilities, according to a live KTLA broadcast, and the LAFD confirms via email alert that the refinery there is "performing a 'controlled burn-off.'" The authorities "are aware of this," noted KTLA, "so you can rest assured that no one is in danger." more ›