Removal or modification of a levee and/or other improvement shall be done at the owner's expense, and except for emergency action required to protect lives and property, only after executive director approval. The executive director may require the owner to provide plans and specifications. The executive director may seek an order from the commission or an injunction through the attorney general and the courts requiring the removal or modification of levees or other improvements which are not authorized by law or which have been determined to pose an unacceptable hazard to lives or property.