There is confusion regarding the lengthening of the runways at the Key West Airport and the creation of Runway Safety Overruns. These are two separate issues. This addresses the Overruns.
The airport operates now with a "safety waiver" from the FAA. (This term alone should be disturbing), The airport does not have the necessary overruns required by Federal Aviation Regulations. The requirement is for a cleared area at the end of either runway for an aircraft to use in an emergency. It is not used for take offs and landings. It is needed in the event of an aborted take off or increased rollout on landing, e.g., brake failure.
The situation as it exists now severely limits crash/rescue personnel and vehicles from reaching the scene in a timely manner. If an aircraft goes off one end of the runway it ends up in the mangroves. If it goes off the other end, it may end up in the salt pond. These overruns don't have to be paved, but do have to be smooth enough and strong enough to accommodate emergency vehicles and the aircraft involved. In any incident/accident time to the scene is critical.
The airport runway is 23 years old, and was built with a useful life of 20 years. It needs resurfacing. The cost of this is estimated at $2 million. The FAA will pay the total cost of resurfacing if the airport is in compliance. Since it doesn't comply, the cost would have to be borne by the County. In any case, it needs resurfacing. It also needs the overruns.
All aviation agencies and organizations have pilot and passenger safety as a primary concern. I would hate to see an accident happen that results in loss of life and property because the overrun issue wasn't addressed. The accident investigation board would place a large percentage of the blame on the County for noncompliance. We have been lucky (so far).
These views are personal and are not necessarily the views of the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association, which I represent through its Airport Support Network.