LOS ANGELES — About a dozen environmental activists gathered outside the Dodgers' home opener Thursday, demanding owner and chairman Mark Walter end the team's sponsorship deal with indicted oil giant Phillips 66, which is accused of dumping oil and grease from its Carson refinery into the LA County sewer system.

Texas-based Phillips 66 owns the 76 gas station chain, and its orange-and-blue 76 logos are displayed throughout Dodger Stadium, including above both scoreboards.

What You Need To Know

  • More than 26,000 people have signed an open letter from the Dodger Fans Against Fossil Fuels campaign urging Walter drop the Big Oil sponsorship, according to a statement from organizers of the rally

  • The protesters gathered peacefully outside the stadium ahead of the team's opener against the Detroit Tigers

  • Federal prosecutors in Los Angeles charged Phillips 66 last year with six counts of violating the U.S. Clean Water Act by allegedly dumping oil and grease from its Carson refinery

  • Activists say fossil fuel companies use advertising at sports stadiums and elsewhere to build goodwill

More than 26,000 people have signed an open letter from the Dodger Fans Against Fossil Fuels campaign urging Walter drop the Big Oil sponsorship, according to a statement from organizers of the rally, which is sponsored by the Sierra Club's Angeles Chapter.

The protesters gathered peacefully outside the stadium ahead of the team's opener against the Detroit Tigers, waving signs with slogans such as "Climate change is bad for baseball," "Dodger fans against fossil fuels" and "No to fossil fuels."

Sen. Lena Gonzalez, D-Long Beach, has also endorsed the campaign, sending a similar letter to Walter on March 11.

Gonzalez, a lifelong Dodger fan, said that LA's recent wildfires have highlighted fossil fuels' contribution to pollution and the climate change that worsens such disasters.

"Continuing to associate these corporations with our beloved boys in blue is not in our community or the planet's best interest," Gonzalez said. "Ending the sponsorship with Phillips 66 would send the message that it's time to end our embrace of polluting fossil fuels and work together towards a cleaner, greener future."

Federal prosecutors in Los Angeles charged Phillips 66 last year with six counts of violating the U.S. Clean Water Act by dumping oil and grease from its Carson refinery, just outside Gonzalez's district, into the county's sewer system. The company faces up to five years of probation on each count and a maximum of $2.4 million in fines.

Phillips 66 issued a statement at the time of the indictment saying, "Phillips 66 will continue its cooperation with the U.S. Attorney's Office and is prepared to present its case in these matters in court. The company remains committed to operating safely and protecting the health and safety of our employees and the communities where we operate."