Planning Minister Mick Gentleman cleared the way earlier this month for a development application to be lodged for the 10 megawatt OneSun Capital solar farm without an environmental impact study being prepared.

Long-time resident Arthur Blewitt said contamination issues raised by the tiny community were not adequately covered in the ACT Planning and Land Authority report, which recommended the minister grant the exemption.

"Residents are disappointed that there is no mention in the ACTPLA report of the alleged lead contamination in the service station and asbestos in a dump on the property," he said.

"These are critical issues and should be addressed as a matter of urgency."

A condition of the exemption from a general impact study was for the developers, Elementus Energy, to have an environmental study completed to investigate the potential contamination issues.

There was no direct reference in the report to the builders' waste dumps several local residents have claimed exist a few hundred metres west of the proposed site, on the same block, but it said the developers offered to complete a contamination report to address the asbestos issues raised by the public.

"There is a potential risk to the Murrumbidgee from dump seepage should that turn out to contain asbestos," Mr Blewitt said.

The Land Development Agency, the new owners this year of both the solar site block and the adjoining service station site, have confirmed contamination investigations were continuing in relation to the known fuel leaks before the station's 2012 closure. There has been no evidence this contamination has impacted on the solar block.

The Environment Protection Authority, quoted in the ACTPLA report, said "on the basis of the information available for the [solar] site it is unlikely that the land is potentially contaminated in a way that is causing, or is likely to cause, a significant risk of harm to people's health or the environment".

As part of their exemption application the developers made a number of concessions, agreeing to move the planned site to at least 200 metres west of the Monaro Highway, and retain the farmhouse and outbuildings, including a shearing shed, previously slated for demolition.

Mr Blewitt said the shift further away from the highway meant he and residents he had spoken to were supportive of the proposal proceeding, subject to a commitment to the contamination issues being investigated and remediated this year.

Resident Terry Woolcott welcomed the decision to protect the buildings on the site and the preparation of a contamination report, but said a full environmental study would have been better.

Liberals' shadow environment minister Nicole Lawder said it was "very disappointing" a rigorous EIS had not been required, given the valid concerns held by residents and groups like the ACT Conservation Council.

There was no comment from Elementus Energy this week.