A Washington County Circuit judge will hear the four lawsuits filed by McIntosh residents against chlorine manufacturer Olin Corporation sometime next year after attorneys in the cases requested a delay Wednesday.

Washington County Circuit Court Presiding Judge Charles Montgomery delayed three lawsuits Wednesday at a status hearing. The fourth lawsuit, which is currently on Circuit Court Judge J. Perry Newton’s docket, is slated to be moved to Montgomery’s docket, the Washington County Circuit Clerk’s office says.

At this point, the next status conference is set for May 2024, meaning trial would come even later, according to the circuit clerk’s office.

Meanwhile, attorneys will continue the discovery process, Hal Turner, an attorney representing Olin said.

Hundreds of residents of McIntosh, a small town about 40 miles north of Mobile, are suing Olin, alleging that chlorine gas leaked into the atmosphere from the Olin plant, and the company failed to notify residents. The leaks range from less than nine pounds of gas to 738 pounds of chlorine gas.