(a) The commissioner or the adjutant general of the Department of Military and Veterans' Affairs may request the governor to determine that an actual or imminent occurrence of a catastrophic oil discharge constitutes a disaster emergency under AS 26.23. The commissioner and the adjutant general of the Department of Military and Veterans' Affairs shall respond appropriately in the relief of the actual or imminent discharge under the relevant provisions of the applicable incident command system.
(b) The department shall promptly, under AS 46.04.010, seek reimbursement of oil discharge cleanup or containment expenses incurred as a result of an actual or imminent catastrophic oil discharge under AS 26.23.050.