(A) There is hereby created in the state treasury the immediate removal fund, which shall be administered by the director of environmental protection. The fund may be used for both of the following purposes:

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(1) To pay costs incurred by the environmental protection agency in investigating, mitigating, minimizing, removing, or abating any unauthorized spill, release, or discharge of material into or upon the environment that requires emergency action to protect the public health or safety or the environment;

(2) Conducting remedial actions under section 3752.13 of the Revised Code.

(B) Any person responsible for causing or allowing the unauthorized spill, release, or discharge is liable to the director for the costs incurred by the agency regardless of whether those costs were paid out of the fund created under division (A) of this section or any other fund of the agency. Upon the request of the director, the attorney general shall bring a civil action against the responsible person to recover those costs. Moneys recovered under this division shall be paid into the state treasury to the credit of the immediate removal fund, except that moneys recovered for costs paid from the hazardous waste clean-up fund created in section 3734.28 of the Revised Code shall be credited to the hazardous waste clean-up fund.