(a) It shall be unlawful for any person who engages in the transportation of gas or maintains pipeline facilities or owns any pipeline facilities within the state to violate any of the safety standards established by the Secretary of Transportation of the United States for the transportation of gas and pipeline facilities pursuant to the provisions of the federal act or any regulations adopted by the authority pursuant to subsection (b) or (c) of this section.

(b) The Public Utilities Regulatory Authority may adopt regulations, in accordance with chapter 54, establishing intrastate gas pipeline safety standards, which may be more specific than federal standards where appropriate in relation to local circumstances or conditions and consistent with public safety, provided such standards recognize alternative instrumentalities and methodologies for achieving federal safety objectives and do not foreclose utilization of alternative instrumentalities and methodologies that conform to national engineering standards or industry practices.

(c) The authority may issue a waiver of any federal safety standards or any regulations adopted by the authority pursuant to subsection (b) of this section in individual cases where warranted by local circumstances or conditions, consistent with public safety and authorized under the federal act.