A. The coordinator, in consultation with the Department of Environmental Quality, is authorized to administer this Chapter and direct all state discharge response and cleanup operations resulting from unauthorized discharges of oil or threatened unauthorized discharges of oil in coastal waters, the land, or any other waters of Louisiana as directed by the governor or upon a declaration of emergency as declared by the governor. The Department of Environmental Quality, under the direction and control of the coordinator, is the lead technical agency of the state for response to actual or threatened unauthorized discharges of oil and for cleanup of pollution from unauthorized discharges of oil.
B. All persons and all other officers, agencies, and subdivisions of the state shall carry out response and cleanup operations related to unauthorized discharges of oil subject to the authority granted to the coordinator under this Chapter.
C. In the event of an unauthorized discharge of oil nothing in this Chapter shall preclude the Department of Environmental Quality from, at the earliest time practicable, assuming response and cleanup duties for the discharge of oil pursuant to R.S. 30:2001 et seq., provided, however, the coordinator is notified within twenty-four hours.