DG I guess they
are talking about the RESA. Runway 20 has a displaced threshold 300m from the northern end of the concrete, and a dirt RESA at the southern end, extending 300m from the end of the concrete (i.e. the top of the Dry Gut fill).
Runway 02 has no displaced threshold ; it's RESA is specified as the concrete area to the north of the displaced threshold. The actual paved area is 1925m long.
All according to the planning documents available online, e.g. see
http://www.sainthelenaaccess.com/app...CI-01-1003.pdf. I think these original drawings are more or less what has been built in this regard.
I wonder if COMAIR want to remove the displaced threshold for runway 20? Would that be helpful with the wind shear problem? Perhaps they would like the government to pave the RESA at the southern end, in which case you're talking significant money (although not as much as demolishing King and Queen Rocks, which others have talked about).
Having a paved area at the southern end would help perhaps - any overrun would not damage the aircraft like would happen if it ran onto dirt. Provided it didn't drop off the end, that is!