Incinerator Ash Amendments of 1989

Incinerator Ash Amendments of 1989 - Amends the Solid Waste Disposal Act to require the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency to promulgate regulations, within six months of this Act's enactment, for the safe management of municipal incinerator ash. Requires that landfills into which such ashes are disposed provide for groundwater monitoring and: (1) have two or more liners and a leachate collection system above and between such liners; or (2) are monofills having a single liner and are designed to assure that there will be no future migration of any constituent into ground or surface water. Provides that alternatively-designed landfills shall meet such requirements if demonstrated that such landfills prevent migration of hazardous constituents as effectively as those required under this Act. Allows such regulations to permit bottom ash or combined bottom ash and flue which has been treated to be placed in sanitary landfills meeting current criteria.

Directs the Administrator, in developing regulations for the management of municipal incinerator ash, to issue criteria and testing procedures for identifying the characteristics of such ash which may pose a hazard to human health or the environment. Authorizes the Administrator to require the owner or operator of a municipal incinerator or any facility involved in ash management to test the ash in accordance with such criteria and testing procedures.

Prohibits any facility involved in the management of municipal incinerator ash from receiving such ash three years after issuance of the Administrator's regulations unless such facility has received a permit or prior approval under a State's solid waste management program and the State program requires facility compliance with such regulations or more stringent State requirements. Gives States which are making a good faith effort to effect such compliance an additional year to do so.

Provides public notice and the opportunity for an informal public hearing prior to the issuance of a permit to an ash management facility. Authorizes the Administrator to issue a corrective action order when there has been a release of a hazardous ash constituent.

Directs the Administrator to conduct a research and development program to develop environmentally safe means to reuse municipal incinerator ash.