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Citations?

I'm absolutely not an expert but I was under the general impression that DDT is no longer permitted because it's not safe.

That's correct, and moreover, DDT is not even banned if used for things like stopping disease-carrying mosquitos. The Stockholm Convention explicitly allows for that use[1].

This is usually brought up as a weird rallying point for people with an ax to grind with Silent Spring, nevermind the very real effects of DDT and nevermind the exemptions explicitly dealing with the objections raised.

[1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DDT#Restrictions_on_usage

Long article about the invention of DDT and it'sssubsequent use and misuse. http://www.gladwell.com/2001/2001_07_02_a_ddt.htm

According to Wikipedia though, DDT only played a minor role in eliminating Malaria from the US:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DDT#Use_in_the_1940s_and_1950s

why is it banned if it's one of the safest?

From what I recall reading on earlier HN threads mentioning DDT, it was linked to reproductive harm in birds (softer/weaker shells), and insects started building up a resistance anyway.