My Plan to Protect Michigan’s Water, Jobs, and Future

By Christina Hines | Mom, Former Prosecutor & Candidate for Congress (MI-10)

My Plan to Protect Michigan’s Water, Jobs, and Future

By Christina Hines | Mom, Former Prosecutor & Candidate for Congress (MI-10)

If you grew up in Michigan like I did, you know how much our water defines us. From Lake St. Clair’s bright, glittering mornings to the steady current of the Clinton River winding through Macomb, Rochester, and Rochester Hills, our waterways connect our communities. They shape our economy, our recreation, and our very sense of home.

I know personally that there is nothing like the feeling of being out on the water—and I want to protect that for generations to come.

But protecting Michigan’s water and environment isn’t just about preserving natural beauty—it’s also about protecting our health, our jobs, our economy, and our national security.

Here in Macomb County, our future depends on keeping our water, land, and air clean, our manufacturing strong, and our defense industry leading the world. Macomb County is home to 64 miles of coastline along Lake St. Clair and the Clinton River, as well as over 13,000 acres of tree-covered public space.

To some, including those three objectives in the same line might be odd, but in Macomb we know that these goals aren’t in conflict with each other—they reinforce each other. In fact, they have been a bipartisan calling—something uniting us rather than dividing us:

• Congressman David Bonior made environmental protection a centerpiece of his career. He led the charge to clean up the Clinton River, fought to strengthen the Clean Water Act, and helped secure funding to reduce industrial pollution flowing into Lake St. Clair. Bonior’s belief was simple: if we don’t protect our local waterways, we lose the heart of our community.

• Congressman Sander Levin secured federal funds for wastewater treatment and shoreline restoration. He was a steady advocate for the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative and helped ensure that Michigan’s environmental challenges—from aging sewer systems to invasive species—received attention in Washington.

• Congresswoman Candice Miller, a Republican, proved that caring for our water isn’t a partisan issue. She fought for Great Lakes preservation, championed stronger protections against invasive species, and, as head of the Macomb County Public Works Office, works to modernize our water infrastructure and prevent sewage overflows into the Clinton River and Lake St. Clair.

I believe this is a legacy worth protecting. Protecting our environment and waterways is a shared Macomb County value that transcends party labels. Like the leaders who have come before me, I’m ready to be a champion for our water, land, and air.

Connecting Our Future, Our Economy, and Our Security

But protecting our environment in Macomb County also means protecting the economic engines that make our community strong.

Consider Macomb County’s role as the “Arsenal of Democracy.” Expanding Macomb’s role in our defense and aerospace industries strengthens our national security and provides good jobs, but it also helps protect our environment.

Today’s defense innovation increasingly depends on advanced manufacturing, energy efficiency, and resilient domestic supply chains. When that innovation happens here in Michigan’s 10th District, it creates good jobs while developing technologies that use less energy, reduce waste, and strengthen America’s independence from unstable and under-regulated global supply chains.

Manufacturing tells a similar story. For decades, corporations, including the Big Three automakers, have chased short-term profits by sending American jobs overseas. But when factories leave Michigan for countries with weaker environmental protections, pollution doesn’t disappear—it simply moves somewhere else while our communities lose good-paying jobs.

Keeping manufacturing here allows us to do things the right way: with strong environmental standards, skilled American workers, and modern technology that produces more with less waste.

That’s why I believe protecting our planet, protecting our country, and protecting our jobs are part of the same mission. When we invest in Great Lakes restoration, environmental standards, clean energy, green manufacturing, and a strong defense industrial base here in Michigan, we are strengthening our environment, our economy, and our national security all at once.

My Vision for Macomb’s Environmental Future

Here are the key pillars I will fight for when elected to Congress:

Infrastructure for clean and safe water

• I will push to prioritize Macomb and Oakland Counties in Congressional spending and federal grants because when we invest here, we protect our region and bolster Michigan’s future.

• I will support federal funding for wastewater treatment, stormwater management, and combined sewer overflow separation so our rivers and lakes aren’t used as overflow systems.

• I will push for total lead pipe removal, including a 10-year deadline to replace lead pipes nationwide to secure clean drinking water.

Protecting our Great Lakes region and rivers

• I will defend and strengthen protections for our coastlines, rivers, and wetlands. These aren’t just scenic assets; they are our water-filtration systems, flood buffers, and recreation zones.

• I will support conservation efforts that protect wildlife habitat, preserve natural landscapes, and ensure future generations can enjoy the same outdoor spaces we treasure today. I’ve written previously about the importance of conservation and protecting our public lands, and I will continue to champion those efforts in Congress.

• I will advocate for continued support of the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative and for policies that require strong science-based standards for discharge (including regulation of PFAS), the reduction of pesticides and harmful contaminants, and more funding for cleanup.

Fighting climate change while creating American jobs

• I support investments in clean energy, advanced manufacturing, and electric vehicle production that reduce pollution while strengthening American industry and creating good-paying jobs.

• I will support legislation like the Inflation Reduction Act that helps bring clean energy manufacturing back to the United States while reducing carbon emissions and strengthening our domestic supply chains.

• I’ll fight to bring federal investment back to Macomb County, supporting defense and aerospace innovation, protecting our auto manufacturing plants, and securing funding for environmental restoration and clean infrastructure projects that create high-quality local jobs.

Bipartisan action, rooted locally

• I believe this work rises above partisan divides. In Macomb, Republicans and Democrats have both stood for water, land, and air protection, and I’ll keep that tradition alive.

• I’ll work with local governments, including our townships, cities, and the county, as well as the State of Michigan, community organizations, and federal agencies. I’ll ensure your voice is heard, our lake is defended, and our children inherit something special.

From Lake St. Clair to the Great Lakes, from Rochester Hills to Mount Clemens, I will always stand up for our environment. Our Great Lakes are more than our geography; they’re our identity. And I’m ready to make sure Washington remembers that.

If you believe in this fight—for a clean environment, good jobs, and a stronger Michigan—join our campaign:

Together, we can protect what makes Michigan home.