In the event of any discharge or threatened discharge of a regulated substance, the government of the Virgin Islands or any of its agencies or instrumentalities, may recover in a civil action from any owner, operator, or other responsible person all costs incurred in the prevention, assessment, abatement, or cleanup and removal of any release or threatened release of a regulated substance, including reasonable attorney fees and any other necessary costs of response incurred by the territory or any of its departments, divisions or agencies. The territory shall have a lien on the real property on which the UST system that caused the discharge is located, even if owned by a person other than the owner or operator, if the owner or operator is in privity with the real property owner.