Making Reviews Certain Act

This bill, known as the Making Reviews Certain Act, modifies how federal agencies prepare environmental documents and how courts review those documents, primarily affecting projects related to energy infrastructure. It restricts the scope of environmental review to effects that have a direct causal relationship to the immediate project, rather than broader secondary impacts. The legislation also limits judicial challenges to energy infrastructure projects by requiring claims to be filed within 180 days and only allowing review from parties who submitted detailed comments during public periods or who will suffer direct harm. Additionally, it narrows when courts can overturn agency decisions, permitting vacatur only when there is a significant risk of substantial environmental harm and no other legal remedy exists. Finally, the bill clarifies that courts should defer to agency expertise when determining what environmental effects are reasonably foreseeable.