The Secretary of Energy shall accelerate the schedule for defense environmental cleanup activities and projects for a site at a Department of Energy defense nuclear facility if the Secretary determines that such an accelerated schedule will achieve meaningful, long-term cost savings to the Federal Government and could substantially accelerate the release of land for local reuse.

Nothing in this section may be construed to affect a specific statutory requirement for a specific defense environmental cleanup activity or project or to modify or otherwise affect applicable statutory or regulatory defense environmental cleanup requirements, including substantive standards intended to protect public health and the environment.