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Politics & Government

Residents Weigh In on the Macpherson Oil Lawsuit

A trial date for the lawsuit, in which the oil company is seeking about $700 million in damages, reignites oil discussions among residents in Hermosa and Santa Monica.

The legal dispute between Santa Monica-based Macpherson Oil Co. and the city has raged on for 13 years. A Los Angeles Superior Court judge determined Tuesday the trial date for, slated for Jan. 18, 2012.

The oil company is seeking about $700 million in damages, arguing that the city illegally breached a 1992 contract that allowed Macpherson to drill for oil in Hermosa Beach. The city forwent the agreement in 1998, citing compliance of Proposition E, passed in 1995, which bans oil and gas drilling within city limits.

Patch caught up with Hermosans and the company's Santa Monica neighbors to hear what they had to say about the latest legal development and oil drilling in general.

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Editor's Note: The comments made in the video are the thoughts and opinions of the Hermosa Beach and Santa Monica residents interviewed only.

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