By SAMMY FRETWELL | The State (Columbia, S.C.) | Published: January 27, 2021 COLUMBIA, S.C. (Tribune News Service) — An emerging class of toxins increasingly threatens drinking water across South Carolina, but state officials have so far failed to set standards that could protect millions of people. That was the message Wednesday from a coalition of environmental groups that wants the state Legislature to establish limits on the amount of the chemicals allowed in public water supplies. The chemicals, known as PFAS, have in recent years been discovered to threaten water systems across the country. They can spread quickly in water and have been tied to cancer, development disabilities and kidney damage.