LOS ANGELES --- The ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, two of the nation's leading container ports, have jointly issued a request for proposals for a new liquefied natural gas truck fleet program. According to a report from Green Car Congress, implementing such an LNG truck program could reduce the ports' particulate matter and oxides of nitrogen by 80 to 90 percent. The effort is part of the San Pedro Bay Ports Clean Air Action Plan, which drew approval last November. The program's financial incentives will fund a maximum of $144,000 per truck. "Replacing the thousands of dirty diesel trucks that call at our ports on a daily basis is a major component of the San Pedro Bay Ports Clean Air Action Plan," said Geraldine Knatz, executive director at the Port of Los Angeles. "Nearly 22,000 truck trips occur at the port complex in a single day, and the more we can do to make sure these are clean, non-polluting trucks, the better it is for all of us. No port in the world has committed to a project like this --- and in Southern California, you have two ports sharing a commitment to significantly reduce port-related air pollution by implementing fleet programs which promote LNG, electric and clean diesel technologies." James Hanka, president of the Long Beach Harbor Commission, echoed Knatz's commitment to the truck replacement efforts. "We're going to have to exercise environmental leadership," he said. "Exerting that leadership is fundamental to meeting all [our] challenges. Truck fleet modernization is at the top of the list." The ports have allocated $8 million each for the LNG truck program, and the South Coast Air Quality Management District has allocated an additional $6 million. All vehicles funded under the program must be equipped with electronic monitoring units with GPS capability.