Ahlia Bethea - Sive Paget Riesel

Ahlia’s practice focuses on environmental and land use litigation, renewable energy development, and DEC enforcement matters.

Ahlia has experience representing communities affected by PFAS water contamination and is deeply dedicated to the connection between human health and the environment. Ahlia’s general experience includes supporting renewable energy development projects through the permitting process, advising on environmental regulatory compliance, navigating environmental reviews under the New York State Environmental Quality Review Act (SEQRA), assisting in Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA) litigation, and facilitating applications for environmental permits, including the New York State Brownfield Cleanup Program.

In 2023, Ahlia received her J.D. and MPH from Columbia Law School and Columbia’s Joseph L. Mailman School of Public Health, respectively. At Columbia Law, Ahlia served as Managing Editor of the Columbia Journal of Environmental Law, interned for the Environmental Law Clinic, served on the board of the Environmental Law Society, and was twice elected to the Student Senate.

Before joining SPR, Ahlia worked for a Michigan-based law firm to support plaintiffs in the Flint Water Class Action. She previously served as a summer clerk for Earthjustice, an environmental organizer for the Sierra Club, and a judicial intern for the Honorable Harold W. Fullilove, Jr. of the Superior Court of New Jersey.

Long Island Power Authority – Jones Beach Energy & Nature Center

Location: Jones Beach, NY

SPR successfully defended the construction of the Jones Beach Energy & Nature Center in litigation challenging the environmental review and permitting of the project under SEQRA, NEPA, the federal Land & Water Conservation Fund Act and other state and federal laws, and alleging violation of the public trust doctrine for alienation of state parkland. SPR secured decisions in Nassau County Supreme Court, the Eastern District of New York, and the Second Circuit Court of Appeals dismissing all claims against LIPA and upholding the construction of the Energy & Nature Center.

New York City Housing Authority – PACT Conversion

Location: New York, NY

SPR advises small and large property managers and owners regarding compliance with federal and NYC lead-based paint (LBP) legal requirements. Our practice also includes advising parties on the regulatory and consent order requirements applicable to LBP in the context of conversions of NYCHA public housing developments to private owned housing under the Permanent Affordability Commitment Together (PACT) program.

“Issues in Environmental Justice: Systems, Strategies, and Diversity”

For: St. John's University School of Law

March 25, 2024 | Panelist Ahlia Bethea

“Environmental Law: Developments in the Law of SEQRA”

For: Syracuse Law Review Vol. 73, No. 717

Article Title: Developments in the Law of SEQRA

July 2023 | Written by Ahlia Bethea, Mark Chertok, Aaron Goldman (and Evan Preminger)

NYSDEC Publishes Proposed Guidance Incorporating Environmental Justice Considerations into Existing Permit Processes

On September 27, 2023, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC) published a draft policy aimed at implementing Section 7(3) of the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act

Developments in Regulation of PFAS

Per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) continue to emerge, so to speak, as a focus of regulatory attention on many levels: health, environmental remediation, and manufacturing. Below, we discuss some of the more recent developments affecting this ubiquitous class of chemicals. Nicknamed “forever chemicals,” PFAS are a family of chemical ...

SCOTUS Invokes Major Questions Doctrine to Restrict EPA Regulation of Greenhouse Gases

On June 30, 2022, the U.S. Supreme Court restricted the Environmental Protection Agency’s ability to regulate greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in its 6-3 decision for West Virginia v. EPA. The majority for the Court held that ...

Ahlia
Bethea

Associate