LOS ANGELES, Aug. 3 (Xinhua) -- Two U.S. major ports will replace diesel trucks with "green trucks" in a bid to cut air pollution, it was announced Friday.

The green trucks that burn liquefied natural gas (LNG) will soon be used at the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, officials said.

The deployment of 100 green trucks at the ports is just the start, said a joint statement by Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, Long Beach Mayor Bob Foster and representatives of Target, shipping company NYK and trucking company Total Transportation Services Inc.

"Emissions from diesel truck engines are a major source of the pollution that takes a serious toll on the health of our communities," Villaraigosa said. "Today, once again, we say we are prepared to meet those challenges with action."

The initiative complements the ports' upcoming Clean Trucks Program, which aims to reduce emissions over the next five years by replacing or retrofitting all the 16,000 trucks that transport cargo at the ports each year.

"We commend these companies for taking a pioneering role in the effort to expand the variety of clean, alternative fuels in use," Villaraigosa added.

"The experimental deployment of LNG trucks at the port is a great example for other corporations to follow, and it will help us better understand the capabilities of this clean-burning fuel," Villaraigosa said.

Created in 2006, the ports' Clean Air Action Plan lays out a schedule to cut air pollution and protect public health -- even as international trade is expected to triple over the next two decades.

The plan calls for a 45 percent reduction in emissions by 2011 for all port sources, from oceangoing vessels to cargo-handling equipment, harbor craft, trucks and trains.

"The only way to reach our goals in time will be through a unified comprehensive strategy which recognizes that the greening of our goods movement infrastructure is no longer just an option -- it's a necessity," Villaraigosa said.

"One hundred trucks is a good start, but we've still got nearly16,000 more trucks to replace before we can consider the mission accomplished," he said.