Katzke's 1990 documentary Sea of Oil, which told about the human impact of the Exxon Valdez Oil Spill on the community of Valdez, Alaska, almost didn't make it out of the state, after Exxon wrote the mayor to warn the film would tarnish the community's reputation. This effort, however, failed to prevent the film from being seen more widely, and in July 1991, Sea of Oil was featured as part of a 2-hour nationwide PBS "POV Showcase" special on the environment.